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Vol.    VII.  The  Glory  of  God  is  Intelligence.  No.     5k 

IMPROVEMENT 
ERA. 

Organ   of   Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement   Association*. 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  GENERAL,  BOARD. 

Joseph  F.  Smith,        )   Wjlf/.,«  Hbbrr  J.  Grant,  i   Businen 

Edw.  H.  Aicdbrsou,    (   'S0110™-  Thos.  Hull,  j      Managers. 

Entered  at  the  Post  Office,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  as  Second  Class  Matter. 

MARCH,  1904. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Portrait  of  Joseph  Bull , Frontispiece 

The  Probability  of  Joseph  Smith's  Story Elder  B.  H.  Roberts  321 

The  Flood-time  of   Energy 33P 

The  Celtic  Maiden.    A  Story  of  Ancient  Britain  Prof.  Willard  Done  332" 

A  Friend's  Influence  is  Worth  More  than  Gold  33f> 

Joseph  Smith  as  Scientist.    V Dr.  John  A.  Widtsoe  33T 

Suggestive  Thoughts  for  the  Mildly  Skeptical Dr.  J.  X.  Allen  345. 

My  Love.    A  Poem Ruth  May  Fox  34$ 

The  Jew— His  Past,  Present  and  Future.  A  Sketch  J.  M.  Sjodahl  35  0> 

Counsel  to  Boys  Engaged  in  Isolated  Labor Elder  M.  F.  Cowley  364 

Talks  to  Young  Men.  V— "The  Same  is  Damned"  367 

Public  Workers — Joseph  Bull 370i 

Some  Leading  Events  in  the  Current  Story  of  the 

World— War  in  the  Far  East— Attitude  of  the 

United  States — Sympathy  of  the  United  States 

in  the  Present  War — New  York  and  Religion 

—  The  Panama  Canal— Will  Congress  Do  It?  Dr.  J.  M.  Tanner  37& 

Editor's  Table -A  Senseless  Campaign President  Joseph  F.  Smith     382: 

Questions  and  Answers  —  Concerning    the 

Creation  —  The    Kinderhook    Plates  —  The 

Kingdom  of  God— Copyrights 385 

Notes 388 

Our  Work— Preliminary  Programs Prof.  Willard  Done  389 

To  the  Reader — Reviews 392 

Events  of  the  Month 393* 


•  SALT  LAKE  CITY: 

214  ifi  215  TEMPLETON  BUILDING. 


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The  History 


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JOSEPH    BULL, 
Born,  January  25,  1832;   died,  January  11,  1904. 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Vol.  VII.  MARCH,  1904.  No.  5. 


THE  PROBABILITY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH'S  STORY. 


BY   ELDER   B.  H.   ROBERTS. 
I. 

By  the  probability  of  Joseph  Smith's  story,  I  mean,  of  course, 
the  probability  of  the  truth  of  his  story  concerning  the  coming 
forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon — of  Moroni  revealing  its  existence 
to  him — of  Moroni  delivering  to  him  the  plates  and  Urim  and 
Thummim — of  his  translating  the  record  by  the  gift  and  power  of 
God,  by  means  of  the  Urim  and  Thummim — of  his  returning  the 
plates  to  Moroni,  who  to  this  day,  doubtless,  has  them  in  charge. 

I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  miraculous  is  usually  regarded 
with  suspicion;  that  such  a  thing  as  the  ministration  of  angels  in 
what  are  called  these  "hard  and  scientific  times"  is  generally  scouted 
by  most  of  those  who  make  any  pretensions  to  science;  that  a 
school  of  scholars  has  arisen  whose  main  principle  in  the  search  of 
truth  is  that  the  miraculous  is  the  impossible,  and  that  all  narra- 
tives which  include  the  miraculous  are  to  be  rigidly  rejected,  as 
implying  credulity  or  imposture;  that  even  professed  believers 
in  the  Bible,  who  accept  as  historically  true  the  Bible  account 
of  the  ministration  of  angels,  insist  that  the  age  in  which  such 
things  occurred  has  long  since  passed  away  and  that  such  ministra- 


322  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

tions  are  not  to  be  expected  now.*  But  on  this  subject  the  word 
of  God  stands  sure.  According  to  that  word  there  have  been  min- 
istrations of  angels  in  times  past;  and  there  will  be  such  ministra- 
tions to  the  last  day  of  recorded  time.  As  to  the  ministration  of 
angels  in  the  past,  according  to  holy  scripture,  the  reader  will 
call  to  mind  the  circumstance  of  angels  together  with  the 
Lord,  visiting  Abraham  at  his  tent-home  in  the  plains  of  Mamre, 
and  partaking  of  his  hospitality;  of  the  appearance  of  angels  to 
direct  the  flight  of  Lot  from  one  of  the  doomed  cities  of  the  plain; 
of  Jacob's  physical  contact  with  the  angel  with  whom  he  wrestled 
until  the  breaking  of  the  day;  of  the  angel  who  went  before  the 
camp  of  Israel  in  its  march  from  bondage,  and  scores  of  other  in- 
stances recorded  in  the  Old  Testament  where  heavenly  personages 
•co-operated  with  men  on  earth  to  bring  to  pass  the  holy  purposes 
of  God. 

Of  instances  in  the  New  Testament,  the  reader  will  recall  the 
ministration  of  the  angel  Gabriel  to  Zacharias,  announcing  the 
future  birth  of  John  the  Baptist;  of  the  angel  who  appeared  to 
Mary  to  make  known  the  high  honor  bestowed  upon  her  in  becom- 
ing the  mother  of  our  Lord  Jesus;  of  the  appearance  of  Moses  and 
Elias  to  the  Savior  and  three  of  his  disciples,  to  whom  they  minis- 
tered; of  the  angel  who  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  mouth  of 
the  sepulchre,  and  announced  the  resurrection  of  the  Savior;  of 
the  men  in  white  (angels)  who  were  present  at  the  ascension  of 
Jesus  from  the  midst  of  his  disciples,  and  announced  the  fact  that 
the  time  would  come  when  that  same  Jesus  should  come  again  to  the 
-earth  in  like  manner  as  they  had  seen  him  go  into  heaven;  of  the 
angel  who  delivered  Peter  from  prison,  and  a  dozen  other  instances 
Avhere  angels  co-operated  with  men  in  bringing  to  pass  the  purposes 
•of  God  in  the  dispensation  of  the  meridian  of  time. 

With  reference  to  the  angels  who  in  ages  future  from  that  in 
which  the  apostles  lived  ministering  to  men  and  co-operating  to 
bring  to  pass  future  purposes  of  God,  the  reader  will  recall  the 
saying  of  the  Savior  concerning  the  gathering  together  of  the  elect 
in  the  hour  of  God's  judgment:  "and  he  shall  send  his  angels  with 


*See  "Life  of  Jesus,"  Renan,  (E.  T.)   Introduction;  also  "New  Wit- 
nesses," vol.  I,  chapter  1.  • 


THE  PROBABILITY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH'S  STORY.      323 

a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together  his 
elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other;"* 
he  will  recall,  also,  the  promise  in  Malachi  concerning  the  same 
times:  ' 'Behold  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  prophet  before  the  com- 
ing of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord:  and  he  shall  turn 
the'hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  hearts  of  the 
children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I  come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a 
curse  ;"f  he  will  recollect  the  promised  coming  of  the  angel  to  re- 
store the  gospel  in  the  hour  of  God's  judgment:  "And  I  saw  another 
angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel  to 
preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and 
kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God, 
and  give  glory  to  him;  for  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come :  and  wor- 
ship him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fount- 
ains of  waters  ;"$  also  the  angel  who  will  declare  the  fall  of  Babylon, 
"And  there  followed  another  angel,  saying,  Babylon  is  fallen,  is 
fallen,  that  great  city,  because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine 
of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication.  And  the  third  angel  followed  them, 
saying  with  a  'loud  voice,  if  any  man  worship  the  beast  and  his 
image,  and  receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  the 
same  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God."§  "And  after  these 
things  I  saw  another  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having  great 
power,  and  the  earth  was  lighted  with  his  glory.  And  he  cried  might- 
ily with  a  strong  voice,  saying,  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen 
and  is  become  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul 
spirit."||  The  reader  of  the  scriptures,  I  say,  will  readily  recall  all 
these  ministrations  of  angels;  as  also  the  promise  of  the  ministra- 
tions of  many  other  angels,  in  bringing  to  pass  the  great  things  of 
God  in  the  last  days,  even  to  the  gathering  together  in  one  all 
things  in  Christ.** 

It  cannot  be  held  as  unscriptural,  then,  when  Joseph  Smith 
claimed  that  by  the  ministration  of  angels  he  received  a  revelation 
from  God — a  dispensation  of  the  Gospel. 

Then,  again,  whatever  the  position  of  unbelievers  in  the  Bible 
may  be  with  reference   to  Joseph   Smith  translating  the  Book  of 


*Matt.   xxiv:  31.       f  Malachi  iv:  5,  6.      |  Revelation  xiv:  6,  7. 
§Rev.  xiv:  8,  9,  10.     ||  Rev.  xviii:  1-3.    **Ephesians  i:  9,  10. 


324  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Mormon  by  means  of  Urim  and  Thummim,  or  "Interpreters,'5 
as  they  were  called  by  the  Nephites,  surely  believers  in  the  Bible 
cannot  regard  such  a  claim  as  impossible  or  improbable,  since  it  is 
matter  of  common  knowledge  that  the  High  Priest  in  ancient  Israel 
possessed  Urim  and  Thummim,  and  by  means  of  them  received 
divine  communications.  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  a 
diversity  of  opinion  obtains  respecting  Urim  and  Thummim  of  the 
scriptures,  of  what  they  consisted,  and  the  exact  use  of  them,  but 
this  I  think  may  be  set  down  as  ascertained  fact;  they  were  placed 
in  the  breast-plate  of  the  High  Priest,  and  were  a  means  through 
which  God  communicated  to  him  divine  knowledge — the  divine  will.* 


*  The  reader  will  find  the  above  data  concerning  Urim  and 
Thummim  in  the  following  passages:  Exodus  xxviii:  29,  30;  Leviticus 
viii:  8;  Numbers  xxvii:  21;  Deuteronomy  xxxiii:  8;  I  Samuel  xxviii:  6; 
Ezra  ii:  63;  Nehemiah  vii:  65.  He  will  also  find  an  excellent  article  on 
the  subject  in  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  (Hackett  edition)  vol.  4, 
pp.  3356-3363;  also  in  Kitto's  Encyclopedia  of  Biblical  Literature,  vol. 
2,  pp.  900-903.  Josephus'  description  of  Urim  and  Thummim  is  as  fol- 
lows: "I  will  now  treat  of  what  I  before  omitted,  the  garment  of 
the  high  priest:  for  he  (Moses)  left  no  room  for  the  evil  practices  of 
(false)  prophets;  but  if  some  of  that  sort  should  attempt  to  abuse  the 
divine  authority,  he  left  it  to  God  to  be  present  at  his  sacrifices  when  he 
pleased,  and  when  he  pleased  to  be  absent.  And  he  was  willing  this 
should  be  known,  not  to  the  Hebrews  only,  but  to  those  foreigners  also 
who  were  there.  But  as  to  these  stones,  which  we  told  you  before  the 
high  priest  bore  on  his  shoulders,  which  were  sardonyxs,  (and  I  think  it 
needless  to  describe  their  nature,  they  being  known  to  everybody) :  the 
one  of  them  shined  out  when  God  was  present  at  their  sacrifices;  I  mean 
that  which  was  in  the  nature  of  a  button  on  his  right  shoulder,  bright 
rays  darting  out  thence;  and  being  seen  even  by  those  that  were  most 
remote;  which  splendor  yet  was  not  before  natural  to  the  stone.  This 
has  appeared  a  wonderful  thing  to  such  as  have  not  so  far  indulged 
themselves  in  philosophy,  as  to  despise  divine  revelation.  Yet  will  I 
mention  what  is  still  more  wonderful  than  this:  for  God  declared  before- 
hand, by  those  twelve  stones  which  the  high  priest  bore  on  his  breast, 
and  which  were  inserted  into  his  breastplate,  when  they  should  be  vic- 
torious in  battle;  for  so  great  a  splendor  shone  forth  from  them  before 
the  army  began  to  march,  that  all  the  people  were  sensible  of  God's  being 
present  for  their  assistance.     Whence  it  came  to  pass  that  those  Greeks 


THE  PROBABILITY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH'S  STORY.      325 

Since  this  kind  of  means,  then,  was  used  by  prophets  in  ancient 
Israel,  it  should  not  be  matter  of  astonishment,  much  less  of  ridi- 
cule, or  a  thing  to  be  regarded  as  improbable  that  when  a  colony 
of  Israelites  were  lead  away  from  the  main  body  of  the  people,  a 
similar  media  for  obtaining  the  will  of  the  Lord,  and  for  translat- 
ing records  not  otherwise  translatable,  should  be  found  with  them. 
So  also  respecting  Joseph  Smith's  claim  to  having  found  what  he 
called  a  "Seer  Stone,"  by  means  of  which  he  could  translate.  That 
cannot  be  regarded  as  an  impossibility  or  even  an  improbability  by 
those  who  believe  the  Bible ;  for,  in  addition  to  the  Hebrew  litera- 
ture giving  an  account  of  Urim  and  Thummim  in  the  breastplate 
of  the  high  priest,  it  is  well  known  that  other  means  were  used  by 
inspired  men  of  Israel  for  obtaining  the  word  of  the  Lord.  That 
most  excellent  of  Bible  characters,  Joseph,  the  son  of  Jacob, 
blessed  in  his  boyhood  with  prophetic  dreams,  and  possessed  of 
the  divine  gift  of  interpreting  dreams,  the  savior  of  Israel  in  times 
of  famine,  and  a  wise  ruler  for  a  time  of  Egypt's  destiny,used  such 
media.  When  the  cup  was  found  in  the  mouth  of  Benjamin's 
sack,  Joseph's  steward  said  to  him:  "Is  not  this  it  in  which  my 
Lord  drinketh,  and  whereby,  indeed,  he  divinethV  Joseph  himself 
said,  when  his  perplexed  brethren  stood  before  him,  "What  deed  is 
this  that  ye  have  done?  Wot  ye  not  that  such  a  man  as- 1  can 
certainly  divine?"*  The  fact  of  ascertaining  the  word  of  the  Lord 
by  means  of  this  "divining  cup"  cannot  be  explained  away  by  sug- 
gesting that  Joseph  merely  referred  to  an  Egyptian  custom  of 
divining;  or  that  the  steward  repeated  the  words  which  Joseph 
had  spoken  to  him  merely  in  jest.f  As  remarked  by  a  learned 
writer  on  this  subject — "We  need  not  think  of  Joseph,  the  pure, 
the  heaven-taught,  the  blameless  one,  as  adopting,  still  less  as  basely 
pretending  to  adopt,  the  dark  arts  of  a  system  of  imposture."!     I 

who  had  veneration  for  our  laws,  because  they  could  not  possibly  contra- 
dict this,  called  that  breastplate  The  Oracle.  Now  this  breastplate  and 
this  sardonyx  left  off  shining  two  hundred  years  before  I  composed  this 
book,  God  having  been  displeased  at  the  transgression  of  his  laws 
(Antiquities  of  the  Jews,  bk.  Ill,  ch.  viii.) 

*  Genesis  xliv:  5-15.  f  Such  is  the  Roman  Catholic  explanation  of 
the  matter,  see  note  on  the  passage,  Gen.  xliv:  5-15,  in  Douay  Bible. 
|  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Art.  Urim  and  Thummim. 


326  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

agree  with  that  view.  It  is  a  reality  sustained  by  Bible  authority 
that  there  exists  media  through  which  divine  revelation  may  be 
obtained,  and  hence  to  the  Bible  believers  the  claim  of  Joseph 
Smith  concerning  "Urim  and  Thummim,"  and  the  "Seer  Stone," 
by  means  of  which,  through  the  inspiration  of  God,  he  translated 
the  record  of  the  Nephites,  is  not  impossible  nor  even  improbable. 
But  what  shall  we  say  to  that  very  large  number  of  people 
who  do  not  believe  the  Bible?  How  shall  we  so  appeal  to  them 
as  to  secure  their  attention  in  these  matters?  Addressing  himself 
to  those  who  questioned  at  least  the  likelihood  of  the  resurrection, 
Paul  asked:  "Why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  with  you, 
that  God  should  raise  the  dead?"  So  say  I  respecting  those  who 
do  not  believe  in  the  Bible,  but  pride  themselves  on  accepting  and 
believing  all  those  things  established  by  the  researches  of  men — 
by  science — why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  with  them 
that  angels  should  visit  our  earth  in  order  to  communicate  knowl- 
edge not  otherwise,  perhaps,  obtainable.  Or  why  should  it  be 
thought  a  thing  incredible  with  them  that  media  should  exist 
through  the  aid  of  which  inspired  men  may  be  assisted  in  translat- 
ing records  not  otherwise  translatable.  They  live  in  the  midst  of 
ascertained  facts  respecting  the  universe,  that  such  a  thing  as 
communication  between  the  inhabited  worlds  of  that  universe 
ought  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  thing  so  rational  that  to  doubt  its 
probability  would  be  esteemed  as  folly.  They  live  in  the  midst  of 
such  achievements  of  man's  ingenuity,  and  in  the  daily  use  of  such 
marvelous  instruments  invented  by  men  for  the  ascertainment  of 
truth,  that  surely  they  ought  not  to  stumble  at  accepting  at  least 
as  possible,  and  even  as  probable,  the  existence  of  media  possessed 
of  the  qualities  ascribed  by  Joseph  to  the  transparent  stones  he 
found  with  the  Nephite  plates, — Urim  and  Thummim — and  the 
"Seer  Stone,"  which  he  sometimes  used  in  translating. 

A  word  as  to  the  first  proposition — viz.,  men  live  in  the 
midst  of  ascertained  facts  respecting  the  universe  that  such  a  thing 
as  communication  between  inhabited  worlds  ought  to  be  regarded 
as  a  reasonable  probability.  Of  the  change  of  view  respecting 
our  own  earth  and  its  relations  in  the  universe,  I  have  already 
spoken.*    Indeed,  I  may  say  that  with  some  attention  to  details  I 


*  New  Witnesses,  vol.  I,  chs.  xxviii,  xxix,  xxx. 


THE  PROBABILITY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH'S  STORY.      327 

have  considered  the  transition  from  the  conception  of  the  earth  as 
the  centre  of  the  universe,  with  the  sun,  and  moon  and  all  the  stars 
brought  into  existence  for  its  convenience,  or  beauty,  or  glory,  to- 
the  conception  of  the  earth  as  one  of  the  smaller  planets  of  a: 
group  moving  regularly  about  the  sun  as  their  centre,  and  the 
probability  of  each  fixed  star  being  the  centre  of  such  a  group  of 
planets.  The  ascertained  existence  of  millions  of  other  suns  than 
ours,  evidently  the  centres  of  planetary  systems  being  granted,  the 
view  that  these  planets  are  the  habitation  of  sentient  beings  seems 
a  concomitant  fact,  so  probable  that  one  is  astonished,  if  not  a  little 
provoked,  at  that  conservatism  which  hesitates  to  accept  a  hypoth- 
esis so  reasonable  in  itself,  and  so  well  sustained  by  the  analogy 
of  the  existence  of  sentient  beings  on  our  own  planet.  The  astron- 
omers tell  us  some  of  these  fixed  stars — these  suns  that  are  probably 
the  centre  of  planetary  systems — have  existed  for  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  years,  for  so  distant  are  they  from  us  in  space  that 
it  would  require  that  period  of  time  for  their  light  to  reach  our 
earth,  hence  they  must  have  existed  all  that  time.  It  is  evident, 
then,  that  they  are  many  times  older  than  our  earth;  so,  too,  are 
the  planets  that  encircle  them.  From  this  conclusion  to  the  one 
that  the  sentient  beings  that  doubtless  dwell  upon  these  planets 
are  far  in  advance  of  the  inhabitants  of  our  earth,  intellectually, 
morally,  spiritually  and  in  everything  that  makes  for  higher  devel- 
opment and  more  perfect  civilization,  is  but  a  little  step,  which 
rests  on  strong  probability.  From  these  conclusions,  again,  to  the 
conceived  likelihood  of  the  presiding  intelligence  of  some  of  these 
worlds  to  which  our  earth  may  sustain  peculiar  relations  of  order 
or  affinity — having  both  the  power  and  the  inclination  to  communi- 
cate from  time  to  time  by  personal  messengers,  or  other  means,  to 
chosen  men  of  our  own  race, — but  for  the  benefit  or  good  of  all, — 
is  but  another  step,  not  so  large  as  the  others,  by  which  we  have 
been  led  to  this  point,  and  one  that  rests  also  upon  a  base  of  strong 
probability.  And  this  is  the  phenomena  of  the  visitation  of  angels 
and  revelation  testified  of  in  the  scriptures.  Such  phenomena  are 
mistakenly  considered  supernatural  and  uncanny.  They  are  not  so 
really.  They  are  very  matter  of  fact  realities;  perfectly  natural, 
and  in  harmony  with  the  intellectual  order  or  economy  of  a  uni- 
verse   where  intelligence  and  goodness  govern,  and  love   unites 


328  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

the    brotherhood  of    the  universe  in  bonds   of  sympathetic   in- 
terest. 

In  view  of  these  reflections,  why,  I  ask,  should  it  be  thought  a 
thing  incredible  with  scientific  men  that  there  should  be  such 
phenomena  as  the  visitation  of  angels,  or  other  means  of  communi- 
cation, among  the  many  planets  and  planetary  systems  which  make 
up  the  universe?  Surely  it  will  not  be  argued  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  sentient  beings  to  pass  from  world  to  world,  because  man 
in  his  present  state  is  bound  to  earth  by  the  force  of  gravitation, 
and  that  the  same  force  would  doubtless  operate  upon  the  inhabit- 
ants of  other  worlds,  and  bind  them  to  their  local  habitation  as  we 
are  bound  to  ours.  The  beings  whom  we  call  angels,  though  of  the 
same  race  and  nature  with  ourselves,  may  pass,  and  doubtless  have 
passed,  through  such  physical  changes  as  to  render  them  quite  in- 
dependent of  the  clogging  force  called  gravitation.  We  may  not , 
therefore,  place  the  same  limitations  upon  their  powers  in  thi? 
kind  as  upon  man,  in  his  present  physical  state. 

As  for  other  means  of  communications  from  intelligences  of  other 
worlds  to  our  own,  they  will  not  be  regarded  as  impossible  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  achievements  of  men  in  such  matters.  By  means  of  mag- 
netic telegraph  systems,  man  has  established  instant  communication 
with  all  parts  of  the  world.  Not  the  highest  mountain  ranges,  not 
deserts,  not  even  ocean's  wide  expanse,  have  been  sufficient  to  bar  his 
way.  He  has  made  the  earth  a  net-work  of  his  cables  and  telegraph 
lines,  until  nearly  every  part  of  the  earth  is  within  the  radius  of 
instant  communication.  In  1896,  the  National  Electric  Light 
Association  celebrated  the  triumphs  of  electricity  by  holding  a 
national  electrical  exposition  in  New  York  City.  The  occasion 
was  the  completion  of  the  electric  works  at  Niagara  Falls.  For 
ages,  that  mighty  cataract  had  thundered  out  the  evidences  of  its 
mighty  power  to  heedless  savages  and  frontiersmen;  but  modern 
man  looked  upon  it,  and  by  the  expenditure  of  five  million  dollars, 
harnessed  it,  applied  its  forces  to  his  contrivances,  made  it  gener- 
ate electric  force  which  lights  the  cities,  drives  the  street  cars, 
and  turns  the  wheels  of  industry  for  many  miles  around;  and  even 
transmitted  its  force  to  New  York  City,  four  hundred  and  sixty 
miles  distant.  It  was  on  that  occasion  that  Governor  Levi  P. 
Morton,  upon  the  declaration  being  made  that  the  exposition  was 


THE  PROBABILITY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH'S  STORY.      329 

open,  turned  a  golden  key  by  which  four  cannon  were  in- 
stantaneously fired  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  republic,  one  in 
Augusta,  Maine,  one  in  San  Francisco,  one  in  front  of  the 
public  building  at  St.  Paul,  and  another  in  the  public  park  in  New 
Orleans.  This  discharge  was  accomplished  by  a  current  of  elec- 
tricity generated  at  Niagara,  and  transmitted  over  the  lines  of  the 
Postal  Telegraph  Cable  Company.  Later  in  the  course  of  the 
exposition,  a  message  was  sent  all  over  the  world,  and  returned  to 
New  York  within  fifty  minutes.     The  message  was: 

God  created  nature's  treasures;  science  utilizes  electric  power  for 
the  grandeur  of  the  nations  and  peace  of  the  world. 

The  reply,  also  sent  over  the  world,  was: 

Mighty  Niagara,  nature's  wonder,  serving  men  through  the  world's 
electric  circuit,  proclaims  to  all  people  science  triumphant  and  the  benefi- 
cent Creator. 

The  distance  traversed  by  each  of  these  messages  was  about 
twenty-seven  thousand  five  hundred  miles,  touching  nearly  all  the 
great  centres  of  population  in  the  world,  and  that  within  the  al- 
most incredible  time  of  fifty  minutes ! 

Again,  in  1898,"  on  the  occasion  of  California's  Golden  Jubilee, 
that  is,  her  semi-centennial  celebration  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
the  state,  William  McKinley,  then  president  of  the  United  States, 
seated  in  his  office  at  the  White  House,  in  Washington,  D.  C,  pressed 
an  electric  button  which  rung  a  bell  in  the  Mechanic's  Pavilion  in 
San  Francisco,  and  formally  opened  the  mining  exposition,  though 
the  president  was  distant  about  three  thousand  miles.  The  press 
dispatches,  at  the  time  of  the  event,  gave  the  following  graphic  de- 
scription of  the  event  just  related: 

By  an  electric  sensation,  as  indescribable  as  the  thrill  of  the  dis- 
coverer's cry  of  "gold,"  the  president  of  the  nation  sent  from  Washing- 
ton the  signal  which  announced  the  opening  of  the  fair.  As  the  bell 
clanged  its  clear  note,  and  the  Great  West  was  for  an  instant  connected 
with  the  distant  East,  a  hush  fell  on  the  gathered  thousands;  then, 
moved  by  a  common  impulse,  the  vast  throng  burst  into  cheers.  Close 
following  on  the  touch  which  sounded  the  sweet-toned  bell  came  the 
greeting  of  President  McKinley,  announcing  "the  marking  of  a  mighty 
epoch  in  the  history  of  California."    About  him,  over  three   thousand 


330  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

miles  away,  stood  the  representatives  of  the  state  in  Congress,  their 
thoughts  flying  quicker  even  than  telegraphic  message  to  the  people 
gathered  in  the  great  pavilion.  And  so,  united  by  the  material  ties  of 
the  electric  wire,  and  the  subtle  powers  of  thought,  the  East  and  the 
West  were  held  for  a  few  brief  moments  by  a  community  of  good  wishes. 

Wonderful  as  all  this  is,  it  is  now  eclipsed  by  wireless  tele- 
graphy— now  passed  beyond  its  experimental  stages,  and  rapidly 
coming  into  the  practical  commerce  of  the  nations.  Man  is  no 
longer  dependent  upon  a  network  of  wires  and  cables  for  means  of 
communication.  The  atmosphere  enveloping  the  world  affords  suf- 
ficient means  for  conducting  vibrations  made  intelligible  by  the 
instrument  of  man's  invention;  and  today,  even  across  the  surface 
of  the  broad  Atlantic,  messages  are  transmitted  by  this  means  as 
easily  as  by  means  of  the  cable  lines.  So  delicate  and  perfect  are 
the  receiving  instruments,  that  from  the  roar  of  our  great  cities' 
traffic,  the  message  is  picked  out  of  the  confusion  and  faithfully 
registered. 

The  argument  based  on  all  these  facts,  of  course,  is  this:  If  man 
with  his  limited  intelligence,  and  his  limited  experience,  has  contrived 
means  by  which  he  stands  in  instant  communication  with  all  parts 
of  the  world,  why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  that  God, 
from  the  midst  of  his  glory,  from  the  heart  of  the  universe,  may  be 
within  instant  means  of  communication  with  all  parts  of  his  crea- 
tions. Especially  since  it  is  quite  generally  conceded,  by  scientists, 
that  all  the  fixed  stars  and  all  the  planetary  systems  encircling 
them,  float  in  and  are  connected  by  the  ether,  a  substance  more  sub- 
tle and  sensitive  to  vibrations  than  the  atmosphere  which  sur- 
rounds our  planet,  and  suggests  the  media  of  communication.  To 
all  this,  however,  I  fancy  that  I  hear  the  reply  of  the  men  of 
science :  "We  do  not  deny  the  possibility  or  even  the  probability  of 
communication  from  superior  intelligences  of  other  planets,  we 
simply  say  that  up  to  the  present  time  there  is  no  convincing  tes- 
timony that  such  communications  have  been  received."  This, 
however,  is  a  miserable  begging  of  the  whole  question;  and  an 
unwarranted  repudiation  of  the  testimony  of  those  who  have  borne 
witness  to  the  verity  of  such  communications.  The  testimony  of 
Moses  and  the  prophets,  of  Jesus  and  the  Apostles,  and  of  Joseph 
Smith  and  his  associates,  may  not  thus  be  put  out  of  the  reckon- 


THE  PROBABILITY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH'S  ST0R1.      331 

ing.  The  character  rof  these  witnesses,  their  service  to  mankind, 
what  they  suffered  and  sacrificed  for  their  testimonies,  make  them 
worthy  of  belief;  and,  since  in  the  nature  of  things  in  the  universe, 
there  is  nothing  which  makes  their  testimony  improbable,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  much  that  makes  it  very  probable,  it  is  not  beneath 
the  dignity  of  scientists  to  accord  to  their  statements  a  patient 
investigation. 

(to  be  concluded.) 


THE  FLOOD-TIME  OF  ENERGY. 

How  prodigal  most  young  people  are  of  their  physical  and 
mental  forces!  How  little  they  appreciate  their  value !  On  every 
hand  we  see  young  men  and  women  squandering  their  vital  energy, 
as  if  a  perpetual  supply  were  insured, — as  if  the  fountain  of  youth 
would  never  run  dry.  They  fling  away  their  force  as  wastefully  as 
the  waters  of  a  spring  flood  overflow  into  the  surrounding  country. 
But,  when  the  flood-tide  of  youth  is  past,— when  they  begin  to 
feel  the  dryness  of  age, — they  realize  the  preciousness  of  what 
they  squandered  so  recklessly.  In  some  placet  where  the  water 
supply  is  abundant  in  spring,  the  streams  dry  up  completely  in 
summer.  The  only  possible  way  of  securing  power  to  work  the 
mills  in  such  places  is  to  store  the  water  of  the  spring  floods  by 
means  of  dams.  Even  so  the  great  floods  of  mental  and  physical 
force  come  to  us  in  the  spring  of  ryouth.  The  drain  upon  them 
begins  in  middle  or  later  life.  If  men  had  a  higher  regard  for 
their  energy,  there  would  be  less  occasion  for  the  report  that  when 
they  reach  middle  life  employers  cannot  use  them. — Selected. 


THE   CELTIC   MAIDEN. 

A    STORY    OF     ANCIENT     BRITAIN. 
BY   PROFESSOR   WILLARD  DONE. 


CHAPTER  V. 

We  now  return  to  Deems.  As  he  escaped  from  the  impera- 
tor's  tent,  and  from  the  restraints  of  military  service,  all  the 
wild  recklessness  of  his  nature  asserted  itself.  He  determined  to 
satisfy  his  grudge  against  Claudius,  and  at  the  same  time  to  har- 
rass  and  thwart  the  imperator's  plans  as  much  as  possible.  He 
had  long  been  possessed  with  an  unaccountable  vindictiveness 
against  the  Celtic  maiden,  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  passion  for  her 
beauty.  He  determined  to  attack  Claudius  at  his  most  vulnerable 
point,  by  jeopardizing  the  honor  of  the  girl. 

He  found  plenty  of  congenial  spirits  among  his  new  compan- 
ions. The  day  on  which  he  joined  them  was  spent  in  organizing 
them  into  a  more  efficient  corps  of  fighters;  the  night,  in  boister- 
ous revelry.  During  the  night,  they  were  joined  by  a  large  number 
of  soldiers,  whose  desertion  from  the  Roman  army  was  inspired  by 
that  of  Decius.  Thrown  on  their  own  resources  entirely,  the  party, 
now  increased  many  times  in  number,  was  forced  to  seek  broader 
fields  for  foraging.  Accordingly,  on  the  following  day,  they  set 
out  in  search  of  a  winter  rendezvous,  to  be  used  as  a  base  for  their 
marauding  excursions. 

Avoiding  the  large  British  villages,  they  plundered  the  smaller 
ones,  detailing  the  slaves  who  had  fled  with  them  to  carry  the 
booty.     They  were  traversing  a  dense  wood,  dark  with  hanging 


THE  CELTIC  MAIDEN.  333 

moss,  when  they  suddenly  encountered  a  group  of  Britons.  The 
leader  was  a  man  of  middle  age,  whose  handsome  face  bore  traces 
of  deep  and  long-continued  sorrow.  Among  his  followers  was  a 
young  man  of  striking  personality.  These  two  seemed  drawn  to 
each  other  by  the  bond  of  a  common  feeling  and  purpose,  and  to 
share  the  leadership  of  the  band.  They  were  determined  men, 
one  of  the  scattered  armies  of  Britons  pledged  to  resist  to  the 
death  the  Roman  conquest  of  their  island. 

At  the  sight  of  Decius  and  his  men,  the  Britons,  though  much 
fewer  in  number,  prepared  to  fight.  In  vain  Decius  tried  to  con- 
ciliate them,  not  desiring  to  risk  a  conflict  so  soon,  even  with  an 
inferior  force.  The  Britons  made  a  violent  attack,  and  the  Romans 
defended  themselves  bravely.  Decius  came  to  a  hand-to-hand  con- 
flict with  a  young  Briton.  So  evenly  matched  were  they,  that 
the  outcome  was  long  in  doubt.  Gradually,  however,  the  Briton 
forced  Decius  back.  At  the  same  time,  the  other  Celts  were  giv- 
ing way  before  the  superior  Roman  force,  and  he  was  becoming 
separated  from  them.  The  older  man  saw  his  danger.  "Kenneth," 
he  called,  "come  here."  But  it  was  too  late.  Several  of  the 
Romans  came  to  the  rescue  of  Decius,  and  surrounded  the  Briton. 
He  fought  savagely  against  overwhelming  members.  All  the 
others,  except  the  leader,  had  retreated  into  the  woods.  This 
man  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  rushed  to  Kenneth's  assistance. 
Their  struggle  was  vain.  They  were  soon  overpowered,  and  the 
Roman  swords  were  at  their  throats.  But  Decius  commanded  his 
followers  to  make  them  prisoners,  and  spare  their  lives.  After  a 
brief  rest,  the  Romans  were  again  on  the  march,  carrying  their 
prisoners  with  them. 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  following  day,  they  came  to  the 
plain  which  the  Druids  had  reached  the  night  before,  and  viewed 
the  stone  cairn  from  the  edge  of  the  wood.  A  certain  solemnity 
and  mystery,  coupled  with  strange  sounds  within  the  stone  circle, 
convinced  Decius  that  mystic  rites  were  being  solemnized.  He 
looked  astonished  at  the  two  Britons,  but  they  betrayed  no  knowl- 
edge of  the  mystery.  Fiercer  and  fiercer  became  the  shouts  and 
tumult.  Smoke  arose  from  the  center  of  the  cairn.  Soon  a 
woman's  shrieks  mingled  with  the  other  sounds.  The  Romans  rose 
as  one  man,  and  rushed  toward  the  stone  circle,  shouting  as  they 


334  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

ran.  The  sounds  within  suddenly  ceased,  and  all  openings  were 
instantly  manned  in  resistance  of  the  Roman  attack.  It  was  a 
formidable  task  that  confronted  the  attacking  party.  Strong,  de- 
termined men,  well  armed,  swarmed  to  the  defense  of  every  open- 
ing. Only  the  spears  and  swords  of  the  Romans  were  available, 
and  the  use  of  those  weapons  was  seriously  hampered.  Decius 
seemed  everywhere  present,  displaying  the  most  reckless  bravery. 

But  he  saw  that  the  fighting  would  be  useless  unless  a  wider 
breach  could  be  made  in  the  walls.  At  his  command,  some  trees 
were  felled,  and  used  as  battering-rams.  Carried  on  the  shoulders 
of  a  score  of  men,  these  timbers  were  fiercely  hurled  against  the 
upright  stones.  Again  and  again  the  rush  was  made.  At  length, 
two  of  the  upright  stones,  with  their  caps,  fell  inward  with  a 
crash.  Decius  sprang  over  them,  followed  by  his  men.  Fighting 
their  way  through  the  swarm  of  defenders,  they  reached  the  inner 
circle,  and  rushed  inside.  They  were  entranced  with  what  they 
saw.  The  beautiful  maiden,  robed  in  pure  white,  her  golden  hair 
falling  about  her  shoulders,  stood  near  the  altar  stone.  The  gar- 
lands of  mistletoe  still  lay  near  her  feet,  while  the  Druid  priests 
stood  about  in  reverential  attitude.  Fires  burned  beneath  wicker- 
cages,  prepared  for  the  sacrifices. 

But  Decius  had  no  eyes  for  anything  but  the  beauty  of  the 
girl.  Vaguely  he  felt  that  her  life  had  been  endangered,  and  he 
was  determined  to  avenge  the  attempted  wrong.  Detecting  his 
purpose,  she  placed  herself  between  him  and  the  Druid  priests,  and 
stood  there  immovable.  At  that  moment,  the  two  British  prison- 
ers, who  had  been  allowed  to  escape  in  the  melee,  entered  the 
inner  circle.  The  older  man  looked  for  a  moment  at  the  girl,  and 
then  sprang  forward,  exclaiming,  "Genevra,  my  child,  my  child!" 
wonderingly  she  looked  at  him  for  a  moment,  and  then  ran  joy- 
ously into  his  arms.  "Father,"  she  murmured,  "at  last,  at  last!" 

Kenneth  came  timidly  forward,  and  was  greeted  with  a  glad 
smile  of  welcome.  Decius  gave  a  quick  order  to  his  men  and  the 
two  Britons  were  dragged  away  and  bound.  The  girl  turned  to- 
ward him  with  flashing,  angry  eyes. 

"Why  is  this?"  she  asked. 

"They  are  my  prisoners,"  he  answered, — "as  I  am  yours,"  he 
added  in  an  insinuating  tone. 


THE  CELTIC  MAIDEN.  335 

Contemptuously  she  turned  away,  and  thereafter  avoided  him. 
She  knew  only  too  well  the  view  he  took  of  her  worth  and  status 
as  a  slave.  Having  seen  to  the  safety  of  the  priests,  who  had 
made  their  escape  by  a  private  passage,  she  went  to  her  father, 
and  remained  as  close  to  him  as  possible. 

Decius  realized  that  it  would  not  be  safe  for  him  to  remain 
there.  It  was  clear  to  him  that  in  a  few  hours  a  sufficient  force 
of  Britons  could  be  gathered  to  overpower  his  little  party.  There- 
fore, he  gave  orders  for  an  immediate  departure.  He  carried  the 
three  with  him.  Under  pain  of  immediate  death,  he  ordered  the 
two  men  to  guide  him  and  his  party  to  a  safe  place,  from  which 
the  surrounding  country  could  be  raided. 

That  night  they  camped  near  the  edge  of  a  dense  wood,  on 
the  bank  of  a  swift  stream.  A  strong  guard  was  placed  around  the 
tent  where  the  male  prisoners  were  kept,  while  Decius  himself 
guarded  the  tent  occupied  by  the  girl.  He  had  a  sinister  motive  in 
this,  and  she  suspected  it,  and  took  precautions.  She  was  not  sur- 
prised at  the  beginning  of  the  third  watch,  to  see  him  stealthily 
enter  her  tent.  She  had  not  slept,  and  all  her  senses  were  keenly 
alert.  He  was  somewhat  disconcerted  to  see  her  standing  in  the 
farther  corner  of  the  tent.  By  the  dim  light  of  a  taper,  he  could 
see  her  look  of  indignation  at  the  intrusion.  But  mastering  his  sur- 
prise and  temporary  embarrassment,  he  assumed  a  tone  of  flattery. 
Its  only  effect  was  to  increase  her  indignation.  He  realized  that 
the  wall  of  reserve  could  not  be  broken  down  in  that  way.  There- 
upon he  became  stern  and  defiant,  "You  are  in  my  power,"  he  said, 
"and  I  shall  make  terms,  not  plead  them.  I  am  not  used  to 
thwarted  wishes.  My  will  is  never  vanquished.  What  I  desire,  I 
have,  and  that  speedily.  Cost  what  it  will,  no  desire  goes  ungrati- 
fied.  Know  this,  then,  from  the  beginning,  that  the  will  of  a  bar- 
barian slave  will  be  bent  to  the  will  of  a  Roman  noble." 

She  looked  at  him  unflinchingly. 

"But,"  he  sarcastically  added,  "y°u  have  doubtle=s  bent  to 
the  will  of  the  Roman  Claudius  often  enough  to  read  my  meaning 
without  further  words." 

Her  eyes  flashed  angrily,  "I  know  your  meaning,  base  Roman, 
but  not  by  experience.  You  speak  of  Claudius.  He  is  my  master,  I 
his  slave.  I  have  not  been  more  than  that  to  him,  nor  he  to  me. 


336  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Nor  has  he  attempted  baseness.  Ignoble  though  he  may  have  been 
with  others,  he  has  been  all  that  is  noble  to  me.  My  will  has  been 
subservient  to  him — my  body  and  soul,  never.  They  are  my  own, 
and  subject  only  to  my  will  and  to  God's." 

Her  dignified  serenity  exasperated  Decius.  He  advanced  to- 
ward her.  "By  the  gods,  I  will  not  be  thwarted!"  he  cried.  "You 
shall  yield  entirely  to  my  will!" 

"Stop!"  she  commanded.  "Advance  no  nearer."  She  drew  a 
dagger  from  her  robe.  "This  I  took  from  the  body  of  a  Druid 
priest,  knowing  that  if  I  fell  into  such  vile  hands  as  yours,  it  would 
be  needed." 

"Give  me  the  weapon,  rash  girl,"  he  said. 

"Come  no  nearer!"  she  repeated.  "My  soul  and  body,  thanks 
be  to  the  true  God,  are  pure.  I  will  trust  my  unstained  body  to  the 
earth  that  gave  it,  and  my  soul  to  Him  who  sent  me  here,  before 
you  shall  approach  me.  When  a  Christian  maiden  must  choose  be- 
tween death  and  dishonor,  she  hesitates  not  one  instant.  Back,  or 
I  strike!" 

She  pointed  the  dagger  at  her  breast,  and  as  she  did  so,  her 
face  was  lifted  to  God  as  if  to  crave  his  blessing  upon  the  deed 
she  might  be  forced  to  do.  With  a  muttered  curse,  mingled  with  a 
threat,  the  baffled  libertine  left  the  tent. 
(to  be  concluded.) 


A  FRIEND'S    INFLUENCE  IS    WORTH    MORE    THAN  GOLD. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  trace  the  influence  of  friendship  in 
the  careers  of  the  successful  men  of  this  country.  Many  of  them 
owed  their  success  almost  entirely  to  strong  friendships.  "Men 
are  bound  together  by  a  great  credit  system,"  says  a  writer,  "the 
foundation  of  which  is  mutual  respect  and  esteem.  No  man  can 
fight  the  battle  for  commercial  success  single-handed  against  the 
world;  he  must  have  friends,  helpers,  supporters,  or  he  will  fail." 

"What  is  the  secret  of  your  life?"  asked  Elizabeth  Barrett 
Browning  of  Charles  Kingsley.  "Tell  me  that  I  may  make  mine 
beautiful,  too."    He  answered:  "I  had  a  friend." — Success. 


JOSEPH  SMITH   AS  SCIENTIST. 

BY   DR.   JOHN   A.   WIDTSOE,   DIRECTOR   OF  THE  AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT   STATION,   LOGAN,   UTAH. 


V.— THE  NEW  ASTRONOMY. 

From  the  dawn  of  written  history,  when  the  first  men,  watch- 
ing through  the  nights,  observed  the  regular  motions  of  the  moon 
and  stars,  humanity  has  been  striving  to  obtain  a  correct  under- 
standing of  the  relation  of  the  earth  to  the  heavenly  bodies. 

First  it  was  believed  that  the  sun,  moon  and  stars  revolved  in 
circles  around  the  earth  (which  for  a  time  was  supposed  to  be  flat 
instead  of  spherical).  Then  the  great  Greek  philosopher,  Hippar- 
chus,  after  observing  the  movements  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  sug- 
gested that  the  earth  was  not  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  circles. 
Three  hundred  years  later,  Ptolemy  discovered  a  number  of  facts 
concerning  the  movements  of  the  sun,  moon  and  planets,  which 
were  unknown  to  Hipparchus,  and  which  led  him  to  suggest  that 
the  sun  and  moon  move  in  circles  around  the  earth,  but  that  the 
planets  move  around  the  earth  in  circles,  whose  centres  again  move 
around  the  earth.  This  somewhat  complex  theorv  explained  very 
well  what  was  known  of  astronomy  in  the  days  of  the  ancients, 
and,  in  fact,  the  views  of  Ptolemy  were  quite  generally  accepted 
for  1300  years. 

About  1500,  A.  D.,  Copernicus,  a  Dutch  astronomer,  having 
still  more  facts  in  his  possession  than  had  Ptolemy,  concluded  that 
the  simplest  manner  in  which  the  apparent  movements  of  the  sun, 
moon,  and  planets  could  be  explained,  was  to  assume  that  the  sun 
s  the  center  of  the  planetary  system,  and  that  the  earth,  with  the 
moon  and  planets,  revolves  according  to  definite  laws  around  the 


338  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

sun.  This  theory,  backed  by  numerous  confirmatory  observations, 
was  generally  accepted  by  astronomers,  and  really  did  explain  very 
simply  and  clearly  many  of  the  facts  of  planetary  motion. 

Fifty  years  after  the  death  of  Copernicus,  the  celebrated  as- 
tronomer, Kepler,  proposed  extensions  and  improvements  of  the 
Copernicus  doctrine,  which  made  the  theory  that  the  planets  re- 
volve about  the  sun  more  probable  than  ever  before.  He  sug- 
gested first  that  the  planets  move  around  the  sun  in  closed  curves, 
resembling  flattened  circles,  and  known  as  ellipses.  By  assuming 
this  to  be  true,  and  assisted  by  other  discoveries,  he  was  also  able 
to  state  the  times  required  by  the  planets  for  their  revolutions 
around  the  sun,  and  the  velocity  of  their  motions  at  different  times 
of  the  year.  Later  investigations  have  proved  the  great  laws  pro- 
posed by  Copernicus  and  Kepler  to  be  true;  and  from  their  days 
is  dated  the  birth  of  modern  astronomy. 

After  the  laws  of  the  motions  of  the  planets  had  been  deter- 
mined, it  was  only  natural  that  men  should  ask  themselves  what 
forces  were  concerned  in  these  motions.  The  ancient  philosophers 
had  proposed  the  idea  that  the  sun  attracts  all  heavenly  bodies,  but 
the  suggestion  had  not  been  accepted  by  the  world  at  large.  How- 
ever, after  the  discoveries  of  Kepler,  the  English  philosopher, 
Newton,  advanced  the  theory  that  there  is  in  the  universe  an  at- 
tractive force  which  influences  all  matter,  to  the  limits  of  known 
space.  He  further  proved  that  the  intensity  of  this  force  varied 
directly  with  the  product  of  the  attractive  masses,  and  inversely, 
with  the  square  of  the  distances  between  them — that  is,  the 
greater  the  bodies,  the  greater  the  attraction;  the  greater  the  dis- 
tance between  them,  the  smaller  the  attraction.  This  law  of  gravi- 
tation has  been  verified  by  repeated  experiments,  and,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  astronomical  theories  of  Copernicus  and  Kepler, 
has  made  celestial  mechanics  what  they  are  today. 

By  the  aid  of  the  law  of  gravitation,  many  astronomical  pre- 
dictions have  been  fulfilled.  Among  the  most  famous  is  tre  fol- 
lowing incident: 

In  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  astronomers  noticed  that 
the  motions  of  the  planet  Uranus  did  not  agree  with  those  derived 
from  calculations  based  upon  the  law  of  gravitation.  About  1846, 
two   investigators,    M.  Leverrier  of  France,    and  Mr.  Adams  of 


JOSEPH  SMITH  AS  SCIENTIST.  339 

England,  stated,  as  their  opinions,  that  the  discordance  between 
theory  and  observation  in  the  case  of  the  motions  of  Uranus,  was 
due  to  the  attraction  of  a  planet,  not  yet  known,  and  they  calcu- 
lated by  means  of  the  law  of  gravitation,  the  size  and  orbit  of  the 
unknown  planet.  In  the  fall  of  1846,  this  planet  was  actually  dis- 
covered and  named  Neptune.  It  was  found  to  harmonize  with  the 
predictions  made  by  the  astronomers  before  its  discovery. 

During  the  days  of  Newton,  the  question  was  raised  if  the 
celestial  bodies  outside  of  the  solar  system  obey  the  law  of  gravi- 
tation. Among  the  stars,  then,  are  some  which  are  called  double 
stars,  and  which  consist  of  two  stars  so  near  to  each  other  that 
the  telescope  alone  can  separate  them  to  the  eye.  In  1803,  after 
twenty  years  of  observation,  William  Herschel  discovered  that 
some  of  these  couples  were  revolving  around  each  other  with  var- 
ious angular  velocities.  The  son  of  William  Herschel  continued 
this  work,  and  many  years  later,  he  discovered  that  the  laws  of 
motion  of  these  double  stars  are  the  same  as  those  that  prevail  in 
the  solar  system.*  This  result  indicated  not  only  the  universality 
of  the  law  of  gravitation,  but  also  the  probability  that  all  heavenly 
bodies  are  in  motion. 

Then,  early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  a  new  method  of  re- 
search began  to  be  developed,  which  was  destined  to  form  a  new 
science  of  astronomy.  It  had  long  been  known  that  white  light 
when  passed  through  a  glass  prism  is  broken  into  a  colored  spect- 
rum, with  colors  similar  to  those  observed  in  the  rainbow.  Now  it 
was  discovered  that  when  white  light  passes  through  vapors  of 
certain  composition,  dark  lines  appear  in  the  spectrum,  and  that 
the  position  of  the  lines  varies  with  the  chemical  composition  of 
the  vapors.  By  the  application  of  these  principles,  it  was  shown, 
towards  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  that  the  chemical  compo- 
sition of  the  heavenly  bodies  may  be  determined.  Later,  it  was 
discovered  that  by  noting  the  positions  of  the  dark  lines  in  the 
spectrum,  it  could  be  known  when  a  star  or  any  heavenly  body  is 
moving,  as  also  the  direction  and  amount  of  its  motion.  These  un- 
expected discoveries  led  to  a  study  of  the  heavens  from  the  spect- 


*  History  of  the  Inductive   Sciences,  Whewell,  3rd  ed.   Vol.   I,  pp 
467-469. 


340  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

roscopic  point  of  view,  which  has  resulted  in  a  marvelous  advance 
in  the  science  of  astronomy. 

It  has  been  determined  that  all  heavenly  bodies  are  in  motion, 
and  that  their  velocities  are  great  compared  with  our  ordinary 
conceptions  of  motion.  Most  of  the  stars  move  at  the  rate  of 
about  seven  miles  per  second,  though  some  have  a  velocity  of 
forty- five  miles,  or  more.  Many  stars,  formerly  thought  to  be 
single,  have  been  resolved  into  two  or  more  components.  The 
rings  of  Saturn  have  been  proved  to  consist  of  small  bodies  revolv- 
ing about  the  planet  in  obedience  to  Kepler's  law.*  Clusters  of 
stars  have  been  found  that  move  through  space  as  one  body,  as 
possible  counterparts  of  the  planetary  system.f  It  has  been  dem- 
onstrated, further,  that  the  sun  itself,  with  its  planets,  is  moving 
through  space  at  a  very  rapid  rate.  Professor  Simon  Newcomb, 
perhaps  the  greatest  astronomer  of  the  day,  says,  "The  sun,  and 
the  whole  solar  system  with  it,  have  been  speeding  their  way  to- 
ward the  star  of  which  I  speak  (Alpha  Lyrse)  on  a  journey  of 
which  we  know  neither  the  beginning  nor  the  end.  During  every 
clock-beat  through  which  humanity  has  existed,  it  has  moved  on 
this  journey  by  an  amount  which  we  cannot  specify  more  exactly 
than  to  oay  that  it  is  probably  between  five  and  nine  miles  per  sec- 
ond. The  conclusion  seems  unavoidable  that  a  number  of  stars  are 
moving  with  a  speed  such  that  the  attraction  of  all  the  bodies  of 
the  universe  could  never  stop  them."$  In  brief,  the  new  astronomy 
holds  that  all  heavenly  bodies  are  in  motion,  and  that  the  planetary 
system  is  but  a  small  cluster  of  stars  among  the  host  of  heaven; 
further,  it  has  weighed  the  stars,  measured  the  intensity  of  their 
light,  and  determined  their  chemical  composition,  and  it  affirms 
that  there  are  suns  in  the  heavens,  far  excelling  our  sun  in  size 
and  lustre,  though  built  of  approximately  the  same  elements. 

Sir  Robert  Ball  expresses  his  views  as  follows:  "The  group  to 
which  our  sun  belongs  is  a  limited  one.     This  must  be  so,  even 


*  See  C.  G.  Abbott,  Report  of  Smithsonian  Institution,  for  1901,  pp. 
153-155. 

f  Light  Science  for  Leisure  Hours,  Proctor,  pp.  42-52. 

$  The  Problems  of  Astronomy,  S.  Newcomb,  Science,  May  21, 
1897. 


JOSEPH  SMITH  AS  SCIENTIST.  341 

though  the  group  included  all  the  stars  in  the  milky  way.  This  un- 
numbered host  is  still  only  a  cluster,  occupying,  comparatively 
speaking,  an  expressibly  small  extent  in  the  ocean  of  infinite  space. 
The  imagination  will  carry  us  further  still — it  will  show  us  that 
our  star  cluster  may  be  but  a  unit  in  a  cluster  of  an  order  still 
higher,  so  that  a  yet  higher  possibility  of  movement  is  suggested 
for  our  astonishment."* 

Another  eminent  astronomer  expressed  the  same  idea  briefly 
but  eloquently:  "It  is  true  that  from  the  highest  point  of  view 
the  sun  is  only  one  of  a  multitude — a  single  star  among  millions  — 
thousands  of  which,  most  likely,  exceed  him  in  brightness,  magni- 
tude, and  power.  He  is  only  a  private  in  the  host  of  heav- 
en."f 

And  still  another  student  of  the  stars  propounds  the  following 
questions:  "Does  there  exist  a  central  sun  of  the  universe?  Do  the 
worlds  of  Infinitude  gravitate  as  a  hierarchy  round  a  divine  focus? 
Some  day  the  astronomers  of  the  planets  which  gravitate  in  the 
light  of  Hercules  (towards  which  constellation  the  solar  system  is 
moving)  will  see  a  little  star  appear  in  their  sky.  This  will  be  our 
sun,  carrying  us  along  in  its  rays;  perhaps  at  this  very  moment 
we  are  visible  dust  of  a  sidereal  hurricane,  in  a  milky  way,  the 
transformer  of  our  destinies.  We  are  mere  playthings  in  the  im- 
mensity of  Infinitude."! 

It  is  not  strange  that  men  who  have  learned  to  look  at  the 
universe  in  this  lofty  manner  should  go  a  step  farther,  beyond  the 
actually  known,  and  suggest  that  some  of  these  countless  heavenly 
bodies  must  be  inhabited  by  living,  thinking  beings.  Sober, 
thoughtful  truthseekers,  who  never  advance  needlessly  a  new 
theory,  have  suggested,  in  all  seriousness,  that  other  worlds  than 
ours  are  peopled.  For  instance,  "What  sort  of  life,  spiritual  and  in- 
tellectual, exists  in  distant  worlds?  We  can  not  for  a  moment  sup- 
pose that  our  little  planet  is  the  only  one  throughout  the  whole 
universe  on  which  may  be  found  the  fruits  of  civilization,  warm 


*  The  Story  of  the  Sun,  R.  S.  Ball,  pp.,  360,    361. 

t  The  Sun,  C.  A.  Young,  p.  11. 

X  Popular  Astronomy,  C.  Flammarion,  p.  309. 


342  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

firesides,  friendship,  the  desire  to  penetrate  the  mysteries  of  crea- 
tion."* 

Such,  then,  is  in  very  general  terms  the  view  of  modern  as- 
tronomy with  reference  to  the  constitution  of  the  universe.  Most 
of  the  information  upon  which  this  view  rests  has  been  gathered 
during  the  last  fifty  years. 

Joseph  Smith  was  doubtlessly  impressed  with  the  beauty  of 
the  starry  heavens,  and,  in  common  with  all  men  of  poetical  nature, 
allowed  his  thoughts  to  wander  into  the  immensity  of  space.  How- 
ever, as  was  shown  in  article  I,  he  had  no  known  opportunity  of 
studying  the  principles  of  astronomy,  or  of  becoming  familiar  with 
the  astronomical  questions  that  were  agitating  the  thinkers  of  his 
day.  Naturally,  very  little  is  said  in  his  writings  that  bears  upon 
the  planetary  and  stellar  constitution  of  the  universe;  yet  enough 
to  prove  that  he  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  astronomical 
views  developed  since  his  day. 

First,  he  believed  stellar  bodies  are  distributed  throughout 
space.  "And  worlds  without  number  have  I  created."f  "And 
there  are  many  kingdoms;  for  there  is  no  space  in  which  there  is 
no  kingdom."!  He  is  further  in  harmony  with  modern  views  in 
that  he  claims  that  stars  may  be  destroyed,  and  new  ones  formed. 
"For,  behold,  there  are  many  worlds  that  have  passed  away  by  the 
word  of  my  power."§  "And  as  one  earth  shall  pass  away,  and  the 
heavens  thereof,  even  so  shall  another  come."|| 

At  the  time  that  Joseph  Smith  wrote,  there  was  considerable 
discussion  as  to  whether  the  laws  of  the  solar  system  were  effec- 
tive with  the  stars.  The  Prophet  had  no  doubts  on  that  score,  for 
he  wrote,  "And  unto  every  kingdom  is  given  a  law;  and  unto  every 
law  there  are  certain  bounds  also  and  conditions."** 

Likewise,  his  opinions  concerning  the  motions  of  celestial  ob- 
jects were  very  definite  and  clear.  "He  hath  given  a  law  unto  all 
things  by  which  they  move  in  their  times  and  seasons;  and  their 
courses  are  fixed;  even  the  courses  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
which  comprehend  the  earth  and  all  the  planets.     The  earth  rolls 


*  The  Problems  of  Astronomy,  S.  Newcomb.  f  Book  of  Moses,  1 :  33. 
X  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  88  :  37.  §  Book  of  Moses,  1  :  35.  ||  Ibid, 
1  :  38.        **  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  88  :  38. 


JOSEPH  SMITH  AS  SCIENTIST.  343 

upon  her  wings,  and  the  sun  giveth  his  light  by  day,  and  the  moon 
giveth  her  light  by  night,  and  the  stars  also  giveth  their  light,  as 
they  roll  upon  their  wings  in  glory,  in  the  midst  of  the  power  of 
God."* 

In  another  place  the  same  thought  is  expressed.  "The  sun, 
moon  or  stars;  all  the  times  of  their  revolutions;  all  the  appointed 
days,  months,  and  years,  and  all  the  days  of  their  days,  months,  and 
years,  and  all  their  glories,  laws,  and  set  times,  shall  be  revealed. "f 

The  two  revelations  from  which  these  quotations  are  made, 
were  given  to  the  Prophet  in  1832  and  1839  respectively,  many 
year3  before  the  fact  that  all  celestial  bodies  are  in  motion  was 
understood  and  accepted  by  the  world  of  science. 

The  accepted  conception  that  groups  or  clusters  of  stars  form 
systems  which  revolve  around  some  one  point  or  powerful  star,  was 
also  clearly  understood  by  Joseph  Smith,  for  he  speaks  «  f  stars  of 
different  orders  with  controlling  stars  for  each  order.  "And  I  saw 
the  stars  that  they  were  very  great,  and  that  one  of  them  was 
nearest  unto  the  throne  of  God ;  and  there  were  many  great  ones 
which  were  near  unto  it:  and  the  Lord  said  unto  me:  These  are 
the  governing  ones;  and  the  name  of  the  great  one  is  Kolob  be- 
cause it  is  near  unto  me — I  have  set  this  one  to  govern  all  those 
which  belong  to  the  same  order  as  that  upon  which  thou  stand- 
est."t  That  the  governing  star,  Kolob,  is  not  the  sun  is  evident, 
since  the  statement  is  made  later  in  the  chapter  that  the  Lord 
showed  Abraham  "Shinehah,  which  is  the  sun."  Kolob,  therefore, 
must  be  a  mighty  star  governing  more  than  the  solar  system;  and 
is  possibly  the  central  sun  around  which  the  sun  with  its  attendant 
planets  is  revolving.  The  other  great  stars  near  Kolob  are  also 
governing  stars,  two  of  which  are  mentioned  by  name  Oliblish  and 
Enish-go-on-dosh,  though  nothing  is  said  of  the  order  of  stars  that 
they  control.  The  reading  of  the  third  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham leaves  complete  conviction  that  Joseph  Smith  taught  that  the 
celestial  bodies  are  in  great  groups,  controlled  (under  gravitational 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  88  :  43,  45. 
f  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  121  :  30,  31. 
%  Book  of  Abraham,  chapter  3. 


344  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

influence)  by  large  suns.  In  this  doctrine,  he  anticipated  the 
world  of  science  by  many  years. 

It  is  perhaps  less  surprising  to  find  that  Joseph  Smith  be- 
lieved that  there  are  other  peopled  worlds  than  ours.  For  instance, 
"The  reckoning  of  God's  time,  angel's  time,  prophets'  time,  and 
man's  time,  is  according  to  the  planet  on  which  they  reside,"* 
which  distinctly  implies  that  other  planets  are  inhabited.  Another 
passage  reads,  ''The  angels  do  not  reside  on  a  planet  like  this 
earth,  but  they  reside  in  the  presence  of  God,  on  a  globe  like  a  sea 
of  glass  and  fire."f 

While  the  idea  that  the  planets  and  stars  may  be  inhabited  is 
not  at  all  new,  yet  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  Joseph  Smith 
taught  as  an  absolute  truth  that  such  is  the  case.  Probably  no 
other  philosopher  has  gone  quite  that  far. 

These  brief  quotations  serve  to  show  that  the  doctrines  of  the 
Prophet  of  the  Laoter-day  Saints  are  in  full  accord  with  the  views 
that  distinguish  the  new  astronomy.  It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  in 
advancing  the  theories  of  universal  motion  among  the  stars,  and 
of  great  stars  or  suns  governing  groups  of  stars,  he  anticipated  by 
many  years  the  corresponding  theories  of  professional  astrono- 
mers. 

In  various  sermons,  the  Prophet  dealt  more  fully  with  the 
doctrines  here  set  forth,  and  showed  more  strongly  than  is  done  in 
his  doctrinal  writings,  that  he  understood  perfectly  the  far-reach- 
ing nature  of  his  astronomical  teachings. 

Did  Joseph  Smith  teach  these  truths  by  chance?  Or,  did  he 
receive  inspiration  from  a  higher  power? 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  130  :  4. 

f  Loe.  cit,  v.  6  and  7.  See  also  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  88  :  61. 


SUGGESTIVE  THOUGHTS    FOR   THE    MILDLY 
SKEPTICAL. 

BY  DR.  J.  X.  ALLEN,  OGDEN,  UTAH. 


The  reasons  assigned  by  skeptics  for  doubting  the  existence 
of  a  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe  are  so  many  and  varied  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  attempt  meeting  them  all  in  the 
brief  space  usually  occupied  by  contributors  to  this  journal. 
Neither  do  I  intend  to  quote  scripture  to  those  who  doubt  its  in- 
spiration. My  object  is  to  suggest  a  few  thoughts  for  the  conr 
sideration  of  thinkers. . 

First.     There  is  unlimited  space. 

Second.     There  is  unlimited  time. 

Third.  There  is  unlimited  intelligence.  'From  due  consider- 
ation of  these  three  propositions,  I  conclude  that  there  must  be  a 

Fourth.     Namely,  unlimited  power,  wisdom  and  benevolence. 

The  first  proposition,  I  admit,  is  not  demonstrable;  but  it  is  a 
hypothesis  universally  admitted.  Should  we  say,  There  is  a  limit 
to  space,  the  question  would  very  naturally  arise:  What  is  there 
on  the  other  side?  I  think  we  may  consider  this  proposition  set- 
tled, especially  as  I  address  myself  to  thinkers  only. 

That  there  is  unlimited  time  may  not  be  so  readily  consented 
to.  Of  course,  there  is  no  one  known  universal  measurement  of 
time.  Bat  I  opine  that  no  well-read  thinker  will  question  the  state- 
ment that  all  known,  as  well  as  all  conceivable,  parts  of  the  uni- 
verse have  tims,  although  their  measurements  are  varied.  This 
second  proposition  is  much  of  the  same  nature  as  the  first.  Time 
is  simply  a  measure  of  eternity.  We  cannot  conceive  of  either  a 
beginning  or  an  ending. 

Perhaps   it  would  not  be  amiss  to  call  attention  to  a  few  of 


346  IMP  BO  VEMENT  ERA . 

the  various  times  of  which  we  are  cognizant.  With  us  the  civil 
day  is  from  midnight  to  midnight.  The  astronomer's  day  is  from 
high  noon  to  high  noon;  while  the  scriptural  day  is  from  sunset  to 
sunset:  "And  the  evening  and  the  morning  was  the  first  day," 
etc.  A  day  on  this  earth  is  about  twenty-four  hours,  while  a  day 
on  the  sun  is  some  twenty-five  times  as  long:  while  a  day  on  Mars 
is  but  forty  minutes  longer  than  with  us.  Jupiter,  although  thir- 
teen hundred  times  larger  than  the  earth,  has  a  day  but  five- 
twelfths  as  long. 

This  persistence  of  time  is  deducible  from  two  ascertained 
facts:  namely,  the  indestructibility  of  matter,  and  the  universal- 
ity of  law  and  order. 

From  spectral  analysis,  philosophers  conclude  that  the  con- 
stituent elements  of  all  worlds  are  pretty  much  the  same,  and  that 
these  elements  are  non-perishable. 

There  is  a  oneness  everywhere  in  substance  and  in  the  laws  of 
motion. 

From  these  two  propositions,  we  infer  the  third;  namely, 
there  is  unlimited  intelligence. 

Everywhere  the  same  laws  of  attraction  and  repulsion  obtain. 
There  is  universal  order,  no  confusion.  The  same  laws  govern  all 
worlds. 

From  the  preceding  statements,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude 
that  one  and  the  same  creator  or  architect  has  control  of  the 
whole.  The  oneness  of  the  universe  is  detectable,  not  only  in  the 
anatomy  of  all  the  heavenly  bodies,  but  also  in  their  physiology,  show- 
ing that  they  are  presided  over  by  one  conscious,  intelligent  mind. 

Although  I  promised  not  to  quote  scripture,  I  think  it  would 
not  be  amiss  to  give  a  quotation  from  Cicero,  as  translated  in  Rol- 
lin's  history: 

We  ought,  above  all  things,  to  be  convinced  that  there  is  a  Supreme 
Being  who  presides  over  all  the  events  of  the  world,  and  disposes  every- 
thing as  Sovereign  Lord  and  Arbiter:  that  it  is  to  him  mankind  are  in- 
debted for  all  the  good  they  enjoy:  that  he  penetrates  into,  and  is  con- 
scious of  whatever  passes  in  the  most  secret  recesses  of  our  hearts:  that 
he  treats  the  just  and  the  impious  according  to  their  respective  merits: 
that  the  true  means  of  acquiring  his  favor,  and  of  being  pleasing  in  his 
sight,  is  not   by  employing    riches    and   magnificence  in   the   worship 


THOUGHTS  FOR  THE  MILDLY  SKEPTICAL.  347 

that  is  paid  to  him,  but  by  presenting  him  with  a  heart  pure  and  blame- 
less, and  by  adoring  him  with  an  unfeigned,  profound  veneration. 

This  Roman  scholar  and  philosopher,  though  not  cognizant  of 
the  numbered  worlds  revealed  by  the  instruments  of  precision 
called  into  requisition  by  modern  astronomers,  could  see  a  oneness 
of  design,  a  unity  of  arrangement,  that  precluded  the  possibility 
of  chance. 

Discord,  disorder,  irregularity,  contradiction  and  inconsistency 
may  be  the  result  of  chance;  but  order,  harmony,  beauty,  and  con- 
sistency, when  universal  and  persistent,  must  be  and  of  necessity  are 
the  productions  of  infinite  intelligence,  wisdom  and  goodness. 

Tnis  universality  of  law,  commonly  spoken  of  as  the  law  of 
nature,  is  considered  and  spoken  of  by  many  as  being  the  "Great 
First  Cause," — self-originated  and  self-perpetuated;  while  more 
deeply  reflecting  minds  conclude  that,  of  necessity,  there  must  be 
a  something  at  the  back  of  and  beyond  nature.  Can  there  be  a 
shadow  independent  of  substance,  or  a  result  without  a  cause? 

One  is  almost  induced  to  regard  the  doubting  of  the  existence 
of  an  uncreated  spirit  of  infinite  intelligence  and  wisdom  beyond 
nature,  as  savoring,  if  not  of  insanity,  at  least  of  a  degree  of  men- 
tal imbecility.  Instance:  Recently  an  old  friend  of  mine,  a  skep- 
tic by  nature  and  a  lawyer  by  profession,  came  into  my  office  and 
said: 

"Doctor,  I  cannot  see  any  need  that  we  have  for  a  God. 
Everything  is  governed  by  law,  the  planets  move  in  their  orbits  by 
law,  and  the  whole  of  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms  are 
governed  and  perpetuated  by  law.  What  is  the  need  or  use  of  a 
God?" 

Doctor:  "True,  the  mineral,  the  animal  and  the  vegetable 
kingdoms  are  all  governed  by  law.  Is  not  this  city  governed  by 
law?" 

Lawyer:  "Why,  yes,  certainly  we  are  governed  by  law,  or  we 
would  be  in  a  bad  fix  if  we  were  not." 

Doctor:  "Is  not  the  state  governed  by  law?" 

Lawyer:  "Of  course  it  is,  or  it  would  not  be  a  state;  it  would 
be  simply  a  mob,  a  rabble." 

Doctor:  "Are  not  the  United  States  governed  by  law?" 


348  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Lawyer:  "Why,  of  course  they  are.  We  could  not  live  in  the 
absence  of  law." 

Doctor:  "Well,  seeing  that  the  city,  the  state  and  the  nation 
are  governed  by  law,  what  need  have  we  of  a  mayor  and  city  coun- 
cil? What  need  for  a  governor  and  legislature?  What  need  for 
a  president  and  congress,  seeing  that  everything  and  everybody 
are  governed  by  law  everywhere?  Why  not  dispense  with  all 
these  useless  and  expensive  appendages,  and  live  in  perfect  free- 
dom; free  from  taxes  and  all  restraint?" 

Lawyer:  "Look  here,  what  is  the  matter  with  you?" 

Doctor:  "What  is  the  matter  with  you?  You  are  the  enigma. 
Do  you  know  of  any  laws  that  have  not  some  intelligent  author- 
ship? Do  you  not  think  that  there  is  and  must  be  a  conscious 
intelligence  at  the  back  of  every  beneficent  law?" 

Lawyer:  "Well,  I  declare,  I  never  looked  at  it  in  that  light 
before.  I  must  take  time  to  consider  your,  to  me,  new  style  of 
arguing  the  question." 


MY  LOVE. 

(For  the  Improvement  Era). 


0  where  shall  I  turn  to  find  my  love, 

For  whom  I  have  wandered  long? 
From  the  northern  to  the  southern  sea, 
Beloved,  I  have  sought  for  thee, 

To  hearken  to  thy  song. 

1  have  sailed  the  ocean's  broad  expanse, 

In  search  of  thee,  love  of  mine; 
Through  mountain  glen  and  wildwood  shade, 
O'er  burning  sands,  my  feet  have  strayed; 

For  thee  my  soul  doth  pine. 

Fhave  searched  the  temples  of  heathen  lands, 

The  Vatican's  solemn  halls, 
Through  all  the  churches  of  Christendom; 
And  still  my  weary  feet  do  run 

To  find  thy  sacred  walls. 


MY  LOVE.  349 

At  last,  at  last,  I  have  found  thee,  love! 

With  thine  arms  extended  wide 
To  enfold  me  in  their  fond  embrace; 
A  holy  smile  illumes  thy  face, 

Like  that  of  a  blushing  bride. 

Thy  gracious  bearing  and  dignity 

Portrays  an  exalted  birth; 
Thy  splendor,  like  a  radiant  star, 
Sends  forth  transcendent  gleams  afar, 

To  gladden  all  the  earth. 

How  fair  thy  brow,  my  beauteous  queen, 

And  chaste  as  the  virgin  snow; 
Thine  eyes  emit  so  tender  a  light, 
Beneath  their  glance  there  is  no  night, 

1  revel  in  their  glow. 

Thy  lips  are  soft  as  the  dew-kissed  rose 

Bending  to  the  new-born  day; 
Thy  voice,  as  the  melody  of  rills, 
Inspires  my  soul,  my  pulses  thrills, 

And  lures  my  heart  away. 

I  found  my  love  in  the  mountain  tops, 

O'erlooking  the  western  main; 
Where  the  stately  pines  and  joyous  breeze 
Waft  the  story  over  the  leas — 

Of  my  fair  lady's  fame. 

There  the  god  of  day  adorns  her  head 

With  a  crown  of  burnished  gold; 
With  flowers  and  grain  her  lap  doth  strew; 
Her  feet  laves  in  the  briny  blue 

That  gems  her  mountain  hold. 

Her  hands,  dainty  as  the  sego  flower, 

Holds  bounteous  gifts  for  me; 
Sweet  love,  thy  love  I  can  ne'er  repay, — 
But  I  would  linger  near  alway; — 

Bid  me  abide  with  thee. 

Ruth  May  Fox. 


THE  JEW,  HIS  PAST,  PRESENT  AND  FUTURE. 

A  SKETCH. 


BY  J.  M.  SJODAHL,  ASSOCIATE  EDITOR  OF  THE     DESERET  NEWS. 


The  problems  presented  by  the  presence  of  the  descendants  of 
Israel  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  are  among  the  most  interest- 
ing and  important.  That  the  preservation  of  the  Hebrews  as  a  distinct 
race  is  providential,  and  not  accidental,  it  would  be  puerile  to  deny. 
It  is  evident  that  the  history  of  the  world  is  concentrating  around  the 
destiny  of  the  once  chosen  people.  The  dispensation  of  dispersion 
is  nearing  its  end;  a  dispensation  of  gathering  is  clearly  percept- 
ible among  the  various  races  of  the  earth.  All  are  being  sifted. 
And  the  various  groups  are  being  knit  together.  The  general 
tendency  is  toward  pan-Slavism,  pan-Germanism,  pan-Anglo- 
Saxonism,  pan-Scandinavism,  pan- Hellenism,  pan-Latinism.  There 
also  is  a  pan-Hebrewism,  which,  when  developed,  will  become 
the  center  around  which  the  world's  families  of  nations  will  be 
grouped.  The  world  is  being  remodelled,  for  the  time  when  "the 
law  shall  go  forth  from  Zion,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from 
Jerusalem."  That  is,  in  brief,  the  Hebrew  problem.  It  is  one  in 
which  the  world  is  interested.  The  proper  solution  of  it  is  the 
regeneration  of  all  the  institutions  that  go  to  make  up  society 
and  governments. 

A  glance  at  the  history  of  the  Hebrews,  their  past  and 
present  struggles  and  achievements,  and  their  future  hopes,  is,  there- 
fore, both  interesting  and  instructive. 

There  are  at  present,  according  to  the  best  estimates,  almost 
ten  million  four  hundred  thousand  Jews  in  the  world.      Of  these 


THE  JEW. 


351 


1,168,948  live  in  America,  mostly  in  the  United  States;  in  Europe 
there  are  8,581,772;  in  Asia,  318,677;  in  Africa,  362,432;  and  in 
Australasia,  17,040— a  total  of  10,448,869. 

The  exact  distribution  of  the  race  is  by  Prof.  Richard  Gott- 
heil,  in  The  World's  Work,  given  as  follows: 


AMERICA. 

United  States 1,136,240 

€anada 16,432 

Mexico 1,000 

Central  America 2,300 

Argentine  Republic 7,015 

DutchGuiana 1,250 

Venezuela  and  Costa  Rica.  711 

Brazil 2,000 

Rest  of  South  America...  2,000 


1,168,948 

EUROPE. 

Austria-Hungary 1,994,378 

Belgium 12,000 

Bosnia 5,845 

Bulgaria 28,000 

Denmark 4,080 

England,  etc 179,000 

France 86,885 

Germany 586,948 

Greece 8,350 

Holland 103,988 

Italy 44,037 

Luxumburg. 1,200 

Norway  and  Sweden 3,402 

Portugal 700 

Rou mania  (eastern) 6,982 

Roumania 229,000 

Russia 5,189,401 

Servia 5,100 

Spain  (with  Gibraltar)...  4,500 

Switzerland 12,551 

Turkey 75,295 

Cyprus  and  Malta 130 


ASIA. 

Palestine 60,000 

Causasus 58,471 

Siberia.... 34,477 

Central  Asia 12,729 

Asia  Minor  and  Syria 65,000 

Persia 35,000 

India 22,000 

Arabia 15,000 

China  and  Japan 2,000 

Turkestan    and  Afghan- 
istan   14,000 


318,677 


AFRICA. 

Morocco 150,000 

Tunis 45,000 

Algeria 57,132 

Egypt 25,300 

Tripoli 10,000 

Abyssinia 50,000 

South  Africa 25,000 


AUSTRALASIA. 


New  South  Wales. 

Queensland 

Tasmania 

New  Zealand 

Victoria 

South  Australia  ... 
West  Australia..... 


8,581,772 
The  same  author  says  regarding  their  occupations: 


362,432 


6,447 
733 
107 

1,611 

5,897 
786 

1,459 

17,040 


It  is  a  common  fallacy  to  think  that  the  well-to-do  Jews  are  all 
bankers  or  merchants,  the  poor  Jews  all  small  traders  and  street  hawk- 
ers.    That  very  many  do  earn  their  livelihood  in  this  manner  is  beyond 


352  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

all  cavil;  the  laws  and  usages  of  the  Middle-Ages  made  this  the  only 
means  of  existence  for  them,  and  modern  legislation  in  eastern  Eu- 
ropean countries  has  tended  to  conserve  inherited  customs.  But  this  is 
only  a  part  of  the  truth.  Even  under  most  adverse  circumstances  the 
Jews  have  gone  into  every  walk  of  life,  and  have  engaged  in  every  man- 
ner of  work.  In  1893  the  number  of  Jewish  artizans  in  Russia  was 
395,942.  In  Roumania  the  statistics  of  1892  show  that  there  were  at 
least  18,015  Jewish  artizans,  making  up  with  their  families  a  round 
100,000.  In  1S99  there  were  4,082  artizans  among  the  Jews  of  Algiers. 
Still  more  interesting  is  the  fact  that  Jewish  agriculturists  are  not  as 
infrequently  met  with  as  supposed.  In  1899  in  Russia  there  were  278 
Jewish  agricultural  colonies  with  a  population  of  63,223;  and  11,984 
working  outside  the  colonies.  In  Palestine  there  are  4,450,  and  in  the 
Argentine  Republic  4,885  Jewish  farmers.  .1 

It  is  most  singular  to  contemplate  the  fact  that  ever  since  the 
overthrow  of  the  Jewish  polity  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  Jews  have 
been  the  object  of  animosity  in  the  world.  Anti-Semitism  is  by 
no  means  a  modern  sentiment.  Alexander  the  Great  and  his  suc- 
sessors  encouraged  the  policy  of  dispersion,  and  Jewish  colonies 
were  soon  found  in  the  larger  cities  of  Persia,  Asia  Minor  and 
Egypt.  The  Roman  Caesars  followed  the  same  policy.  The  Jews 
continued  to  disperse.  Thousands  of  them,  settled  in  Rome,  while 
others  were  driven  out  to  the  conquered  provinces.  And  every- 
where they  had  to  maintain  themselves  in  the  midst  of  opposition 
that  sometimes  burst  forth  in  uncontrollable  flames  of  persecution. 
More  than  once  they  were  banished  from  Rome.  Frequently  they 
were  the  objects  of  the  ill  will  of  the  populace,  and  where  they 
became  most  numerous,  they  were  hated  the  most.  They  were 
compelled  by  this  very  fact  to  disperse.  Says  the  late  historian, 
Mommsen: 

How  numerous  even  in  Rome  the  Jewish  population  was  already  be- 
fore Caesar's  time,  and  how  closely  at  the  same  time  the  Jews  even  then 
kept  together  as  fellow-countrymen,  is  shown  by  the  remark  of  an 
author  of  the  period  that  it  was  dangerous  for  a  governor  to  offend  the 
Jews  in  his  province,  because  he  might  then  certainly  reckon  on  being 
hissed  after  his  return  by  the  populace  of  the  capital.  Even  at  this  time 
the  predominant  business  of  the  Jews  was  trade.  At  this  period,  too, 
we  encounter  the  peculiar  antipathy  of  the  Occidentals  toward  this  so 
thoroughly  Oriental  race  and  their  foreign  opinions  and  customs.      This 


THE  JEW.  353 

Judaism,  though  not  the  most  pleasing  feature  in  the  nowhere  pleasing 
picture  of  the  mixture  of  nations  which  then  prevailed,  was  neverthe- 
less an  historical  element  developing  itself  in  the  natural  course  of 
things  which  Caesar,  just  like  his  predecessor  Alexander,  fostered  as  far 
as  possible.  *        *  They  did  not,  of  course,  contemplate 

placing  the  Jewish  nationality  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  Hellenic  or 
Italo-Hellenic. 

But  the  Jew  who  has  not,  like  the  Occidental,  received  the  Pan- 
dora's gift  of  political  organization,  and  stands  substantially  in  the  re- 
lation of  indifference  to  the  state;  who,  moreover,  is  as  reluctant  to 
give  up  his  sense  of  national  idiosyncrasy,  as  he  is  ready  to  clothe  it 
with  any  nationality  at  pleasure  and  to  adapt  himself,  up  to  a  certain 
degree,  to  foreign  habits — the  Jew  was,  for  this  very  reason,  as  it  were, 
made  for  a  state  which  was  to  be  built  on  the  ruins  of  a  hundred  living 
polities,  and  to  be  endowed  with  a  somewhat  abstract,  and,  from  the 
very  outset,  weakened  nationality.  In  the  ancient  world  also  Judaism 
was  an  effective  leaven  of  cosmopolitanism  and  of  national  decompo- 
sition. 

With  the  advent  of  Moslem  influence,  the  position  of  the  Jew 
became,  if  possible,  less  tolerable  than  before.  The  Mohamme- 
dans despoiled  them  most  unmercifully.  During  the  eighth  and 
ninth  centuries  they  evidently  were  crowded  northward  in  great 
numbers,  for  tradition  has  it  that  they  became  so  numerous  and  in- 
fluential in  Russia  that  the  question  of  adopting  Judaism  as  the 
national  religion  was  seriously  considered  by  the  Muscovites.  But 
this  was  not  to  be. 

So-called  Christian  rule  has  been  most  cruel  toward  the 
Hebrews.  When  the  Christians  became  predominant  in  Constan- 
tine's  empire,  laws  were  made  that  closed  all  offices  to  the  Jews, 
and  prohibited  the  erection  of  synagogues.  During  the  reign  of 
Charlemagne,  the  state  rather  protected  Jews,  but  the  church  be- 
came a  bitter  persecutor.  This  sentiment  finally  prevailed  in  the 
state,  too,  and  Shakespeare's  Shylock  became  the  image  of  the  Jew, 
impressed  upon  the  public  mind.  In  the  thirteenth  century,  Jews 
in  Europe  were  compelled  to  wear  a  yellow  badge.  They  were 
shunned  as  lepers,  and  had  to  live  in  Judengassen.  As  for  busi- 
ness, they  were  confined  to  the  second-hand  clothes  stores.  Even 
upon  their  marriage,  restrictions  were  placed  designed  to  check 
the  growth  of  the  race.     Often  they  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the 


354  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

mob.  But  they  grew,  notwithstanding  all,  in  numbers  and  influ- 
ence, and  they  became  the  great  money-lenders  of  the  western 
world.  But  the  hatred  against  them  also  grew  in  intensity,  with 
the  growth  of  their  prosperity.  Sometimes  they  were  swept  away 
as  by  a  cyclone  of  persecution;  now  from  one  country,  and  then 
from  another.  Thus  in  1290,  A.  D.,  England  drove  out  the  Jews 
by  decree.  They  were  not  readmitted  till  the  time  of  Cromwell. 
France  followed  England's  example  in  1395,  A.  D.  Spain  deported 
them  in  1492,  A.  D.,  and  Portugal  rid  herself  of  them  in  1495, 
A.  D.  These  exiles  found  their  way  to  Germany,  Austria,  Poland 
and  the  adjoining  countries.  The  sentiment  against  the  race  has 
been  perpetuated  to  our  present  time,  notwithstanding  the  revolu- 
tions fought  for  "liberty,  equality,  and  fraternity."  The  outrages 
at  Kishineff,  the  persecutions  in  the  Balkan  states,  the  French  anti- 
Dreyfus  agitation,  and  numerous  other  recent  incidents,  are  fresh 
in  memory.  They  all  prove  that  anti-Semitism  is  by  no  means 
dead. 

It  is  remarkable  that  this  sentiment  should  be  chronic  to 
every  age.  It  is  not  because  the  Jews  are  morally,  or  intellectu- 
ally inferior  to  any  other  people.  The  Jews  have,  on  the  contrary, 
a  brilliant  record  in  history.  They  have  dictated  the  policy  of 
continents.  They  have  wrested  from  nature  some  of  her  most 
precious  secrets.  They  have  thrilled  the  hearts  of  man  by  song, 
mu-ic,  and  oratory.  They  have  held  audiences  spell-bound  while 
interpreting  human  emotions,  upon  the  stage. 

If  we  turn  the  leaves  of  history,  we  cannot  fail  to  notice 
Judas  MacabaBus,  the  notable  patriot  and  soldier;  Josephus,  the  calm 
and  lucid  historian;  Disraeli,  the  creator  of  an  empire;  Rothschild, 
the  true  Napoleon  of  finance;  Moses  Montefiore,  the  philanthropist, 
Elisa,  Rachel,  and  Sarah  Bernhardt,  the  actresses;  Sonnenthal,  the 
dramatist;  Heinrich  Heine,  the  poet  and  pupil  of  Schlegel;  Israel 
Zangwill,  the  author;  Lombroso  and  Nordau,  the  students  of  the 
secret  causes  of  crime;  Mendelssohn,  the  musical  genius.  These 
are  only  a  few  representative  Jews.  We  have  not  mentioned  in 
this  connection  the  law-givers,  poets,  heroes,  prophets,  seers, 
apostles  of  sacred  history;  nor  the  infinitely  greatest  of  all,  the 
Captain  of  our  Salvation.  Profane  history  and  the  present  day 
record,  furnish  a  cloud  of  witnesses  to  the  great   fact  that   the 


THE  JEW.  355 

Jewish  race  is  still  capable  of  the  leadership  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth.  Throughout  these  long  centuries  they  present  to  the 
wondering  world  the  picture  of  the  triumph  of  intellect  over  the 
most  adverse  circumstances.     Why,  then,  the  hatred? 

Only  one  answer  is  really  possible  to  this  question.  It  is 
providential.  In  the  first  place,  persecution  has  been  the  means  of 
preserving  their  nationality  and  their  religion.  In  Russia,  in 
Roumania,  and  in  other  places  where  they  are  .  ostracized  and 
driven  from  pillar  to  post,  they  keep  the  traditions  of  their  fathers 
more  scrupulously  than  elsewhere.  They  are  more  particular 
about  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  their  prayers,  etc.  In  this 
country,  where  they  have  full  liberty,  there  is  more  carelessness 
about  religious  matters.  The  tendency  is  strong  to  amalgamation 
with  gentiles.  Persecution  seems  to  have  been  necessary  for  the 
preservation  of  the  race  in  the  midst  of  the  nations  of  the  earth.  It 
has  certainly  also  had  the  effect  of  strengthening  the  Jews,  as  a  peo- 
ple, for  the  role  they  are  still  to  play  in  the  world.  And  this  role 
is  indicated  by  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  in  the  fol- 
lowing well  known  question:  "For  if  the  casting  away  of  them  is 
the  reconciling  of  the  world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of  them  be, 
but  life  from  the  dead?" 

And  this  leads  us  to  a  brief  contemplation  of  the  future  of 
this  people.  Nothing  is  more  certain  than  this,  that  they,  accord- 
ing to  divine  word,  are  to  be  gathered  and  given  a  standing  as  a 
nation,  with  their  own  country  and  government,  and  with  a  peculiar 
mission  full  of  power  and  glory. 

Joel,  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  highly  revered  prophets  of 
the  Hebrew  dispensation,  closes  his  prophetic  writing  with  this 
positive  declaration  of  a  final  restoration  of  the  Jews  and  their 
country: 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  mountains  shall 
drop  down  new  wine,  and  the  hills  shall  flow  with  milk,  and  all  the 
rivers  of  Judah  shall  flow  with  waters,  and  a  fountain  shall  come 
forth  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  water  the  valley  of  Shittim. 
Egypt  shall  be  a  desolation,  and  Edom  shall  be  a  desolate  wilderness,  for 
the  violence  against  the  children  of  Judah,  because  they  have  shed  in- 
nocent blood   in   their  land.      But  Judah  shall  dwell  forever,  and  Jeru- 


356  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

salem  from  generation  to  generation.      For   I   will   cleanse  their  blood 
that  I  have  not  cleansed:  for  the  Lord  dwelleth  in  Zion  (Joel  3:  18-21). 

Amos,  another  of  the  most  ancient  of  the  Hebrew  seers,  an- 
nounces divine  judgments  upon  the  states  surrounding  Judea,  and 
against  the  two  divisions  into  which  the  Hebrews  fell  after  the 
reign  of  Solomon.  He  warns  them  of  the  calamity  about  to  over- 
take them  through  the  invasion  of  the  Assyrians,  but  beyond  this 
destruction  he  sees  future  restoration  to  glory.  After  the  people 
have  been  sifted  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  they  will  be  again 
raised  to  more  than  former  glory.  This  is  the  burden  of  his 
prophecies.     He  concludes  as  follows: 

And  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  my  people  of  Israel,  and 
they  shall  build  the  waste  cities,  and  inhabit  them;  and  they  shall  plant 
vineyards,  and  drink  the  wine  thereof;  they  shall  also  make  gardens,  and 
eat  the  fruit  of  them.  And  I  will  plant  them  upon  their  land,  and  they 
shall  no  more  be  pulled  up  out  of  their  land  which  I  have  given  themr 
saith  the  Lord  thy  God  (Amos  9:  14,  15). 

The  Prophet  Hosea,  a  contemporary  of  Amos  and  an  Israelite 
by  birth,  speaks  more  particularly  about  the  dispersion  and  final 
conversion  and  re-establishment  of  the  so-called  ten  tribes.  Here 
are  some  of  his  remarkable  predictions  delivered  more  than  seven 
centuries  before  Christ: 

For  the  children  of  Israel  shall  abide  many  days  without  a  king, 
and  without  a  prince,  and  without  a  sacrifice,  and  without  an  image, 
and  without  an  ephod,  and  without  teraphim.  Afterward  shall  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  return,  and  seek  the  Lord  their  God,  and  David,  their 
king;  and  shall  fear  the  Lord  and  his  goodness  in  the  latter  days  (Hosea 
3:  4,  5). 

The  ephod  here  spoken  of  was  an  article  of  dress  belonging  to 
the  uniform  of  the  Hebrew  priest.  It  was  made  of  linen,  and  the 
ephod  of  the  chief  priest  was  embroidered  with  various  colors. 
One  part  of  this  dress  covered  the  breast,  while  the  other  fell 
over  the  back,  and  the  two  parts  were  clasped  together  upon  the 
shoulders  with  large  gems,  upon  which  were  engraved  the  names 
of  the  twelve  tribes.  It  was  further  fastened  with  a  girdle  of 
"gold,  blue,  purple,  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen."  The  teraphim 
were  most  probably  images  to  which   the  people  paid  superstitious 


THE  JEW.  357 

reverence  in   their  homes.     The  prediction,  therefore,  was  that 
Israel  shocld  be  scattered  for  many  days,  for  a  long  time,  and  be 
deprived  .  of   both   public   and    private  worship.       Not  forever, 
though.     Only  for  "many  days." 
The  same  prophet  declares: 

Then  shall  the  children  of  Judah  and  the  children  of  Israel  be  gath- 
ered together,  and  appoint  themselves  one  head,  and  they  shall  come  up 
out  of  the  land:  for  great  shall  be  the  day  of  Jezreel  (Hosea  1:  11). 

The  Prophet  Isaiah  speaks  in  the  same  strain: 

Break  forth  into  joy,  sing  together,  ye  waste  places  of  Jerusalem: 
for  God  hath  comforted  his  people,  he  hath  redeemed  Jerusalem  (Isaiah 
52:  9.) 

For  Zion's  sake  will  I  not  hold  my  peace,  and  for  Jerusalem's  sake  I 
will  not  rest,  until  the  righteousness  thereof  go  forth  as  brightness,  and 
the  salvation  thereof  as  a  lamp  that  burneth  (Isaiah  62:  1.) 

Thou  shalt  no  more  be  termed  Forsaken;  neither  shall  thy  land  any 
more  be  termed  Desolate:  but  thou  shalt  be  called  Hephzi-bah  [my  de- 
light is  in  her],  and  thy  land  Beulah  [married,  indicating  union  between 
God  and  his  people]:  for  the  Lord  delighteth  in  thee,  and  thy  land  shall 
be  married  (Isaiah  62:  4.    See  also  chapters  65  and  66). 

The  Prophet  Micah  declares,referring  to  the  exaltation  of  the 
people  of  God  in  the  latter-days: 

In  that  day,  saith  the  Lord,  will  I  assemble  her  that  halteth,  and  I 
will  gather  her  that  is  driven  out,  and  her  that  I  have  afflicted;  and  I 
will  make  her  that  halted  a  remnant,  and  her  that  was  cast  off  a  strong 
nation:  and  the  Lord  shall  reign  over  them  in  Mount  Zion  from  hence- 
forth, even  forever.  (Micah  4:  6,  7). 

The  Prophet  Daniel,  speaking  of  the  last  days,  says : 

And  at  that  time  shall  Michael  stand  up,  the  great  prince  which 
standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people:  and  there  shall  be  a  time  of 
trouble,  such  as  never  was  since  there  was  a  nation  even  to  that  same 
time:  and  at  that  time  thy  people  shall  be  delivered,  every  one  that  shall 
be  found  written  in  the  book  (Dan.  12:  1). 

Scores  of  scripture  passages  might  be  quoted.  The  Bible 
student  may  be  referred  to  the  following,  which  should  be  read 
with  their  context: 


358  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

1.  Concerning  the  gathering  of  the  Hebrew  race.  Isa.  11:  11;  27: 
12,  13;  43:  5,  6;  49:  11,  12;  Zeph.  3:  10;  Zech.  8:  7,  8;  10:  8-10. 

2.  This  gathering  precedes  the  acceptance  of  Jesus  as  the  king  of 
the  earth:  Isa.  1:  26;  60:  70;  Jer.23:  4;  30:  8,  9,  21;  Ezek.  34:  23,  24; 
37:  24,  25;  Obad.  21;  Zech.  14:  5,  9;  Ps.  22:  27,  28. 

3.  Further  prophetic  declarations  are  to  the  effect  that  the  Jews 
restored  will  be  prosperous,  and  be  a  blessing  to  all  the  earth.  Palestine 
shall  become  exceedingly  fertile,  and  Jerusalem  shall  flourish.  Before 
this,  however,  there  will  be  wars  and  desolation.  Isa.  34;  Joel  3:  1-10; 
Zeph.  3:  8,  9.  Ezek.  28:  25,  26;  Hag.  2:  21-23;  Jer.  30:  7-10;  II  Chron. 
15:  3-7. 

In  view  of  these  prophecies,  the  movement  that  has 
occupied  the  attention  of  many  Jews  the  last  few  years, 
and  which  is  known  as  Zionism,  becomes  exceedingly  important. 
No  matter  how  we  view  it,  whether  we  consider  it  a  beautiful 
dream  or  a  practical  scheme,  it  is  the  most  remarkable  Jewish 
movement  of  the  age.  It  must  be  reckoned  with.  And  perhaps 
it  is  not,  after  all,  more  impossible  than  was  the  exodus  from 
Egypt. 

The  chief  leader  of  this  movement  is  Theodore  Herzl,  of 
Vienna.  M.  Herzl  sprang  into  prominence  from  the  humble  posi- 
tion of  an  obscure  journalist,  by  publishing  a  little  book,  Die 
Judenstaat,  in  which  Zionism  was  outlined.  No  better  idea  of  this 
modern  Moses,  as  he  has  been  called,  can  be  given,  than  by  his 
own  autobiography,  in  which  he  says  in  part: 

I  was  born  in  1860,  in  Budapest,  in  a  house  next  to  the  synagogue, 

where  lately  Rabbi denounced  me  from  the  pulpit  in  very  strong 

terms,  because  forsooth  I  am  trying  to  obtain  for  the  Jews  more  honor 
and  freedom  than  they  enjoy  at  present.  On  the  front  door  of  the  house 
in  the  Tabakgasse,  where  I  first  saw  the  light  of  (his  world,  twenty 
years  hence  a  notice  will  be  posted  up,  with  the  words,  "This  house 
to  let." 

I  cannot  deny  that  I  went  to  school.  First  of  all  I  was  sent  to  a 
Jewish  preparatory  school,  where  I  enjoyed  a  certain  authority  because 
my  father  was  a  wealthy  merchant.  My  earliest  recollection  of  that 
school  consists  of  a  caning  which  I  received  from  the  master  because  I 
did  not  know  the  details  of  the  exodus  of  the  Jews  from  Egypt.  At  the 
present  time  a  great  many  schoolmasters  want  to  give  me  a  caning 
because  I  recollect  too  much  of  the  exodus  of  Egypt. 


THE  JEW.  359 

At  the  age  of  ten  I  went  to  the  Realschule.  Lesseps  was  then  the 
hero  of  the  hour,  and  I  had  conceived  the  idea  of  piercing  the  other 
isthmus,  that  of  Panama.  But  I  soon  lost  all  my  former  love  for  log- 
arithms and  trigonometry,  because  at  that  time  a  very  pronounced  anti- 
Jewish  tendency  prevailed  at  the  Realschule.  One  of  our  masters 
explained  to  our  class  the  meaning  of  the  word  "heathen"  by  saying, 
'"To  that  class  belong  the  idolators,  Mohammedans  and  Jews."  After 
this  peculiar  definition  I  had  enough  of  the  "Realschule,"  and  wanted  to 
become  a  classical  scholar.  My  good  father  never  constrained  me  into 
a  narrow  groove  for  my  studies,  and  I  became  a  pupil  of  the  gym- 
nasium. 

But  for  all  that,  I  had  not  yet  quite  done  with  Panama.  Many  years 
later,  as  the  Paris  correspondent  of  the  Neue  Freie  Presse,  it  became  my  duty 
to  write  about  the  notorious  incidents  of  that  scandalous  episode  in  the 
history  of  France.  At  the  gymnasium  which  was  called  the  Evangelisches 
Gymnasium,  the  Jewish  boys  formed  the  majority,  and  therefore  we 
had  not  to  complain  of  any  "Judenhetze."  In  the  upper  seventh  I  wrote 
my  first  newspaper  article — of  course,  anonymously,  otherwise  I  would 
have  been  kept  in  by  the  headmaster. 

While  in  the  highest  class  in  the  gymnasium,  my  only  sister  died, 
a  girl  of  eighteen:  my  good  mother  became  so  melancholy  with  grief 
that  we  removed  to  Vienna  in  1878. 

During  the  "shiva"  week  (week  of  mourning)  Rabbi  Kohn  called  on 
us  and  asked  me  what  were  my  plans  for  the  future.  I  told  him  that  I 
intended  to  become  an  author  (ein  Schriftsteller),  whereupon  the  rabbi 
shook  his  head. 

In  Vienna  I  studied  law,  took  part  in  the  stupid  students'  farces, 
including  the  wearing  of  a  colored  cap  of  a  "verbindung"'  until  this  as- 
sociation one  fine  morning  passed  a  resolution  that  no  Jews  should 
henceforth  be  received  as  members.  Those  who  were  members  already 
they  kindly  permitted  to  remain  in  the  "verbindung." 

I  said  goodby  to  these  noble  youth  and  began  to  devote  myself 
seriously  to  work. 

In  1884,  I  took  my  degree  as  doctor  juris  and  entered  the  Gerichts 
Praxis  (an  unsalaried  appointment  in  the  law  courts  as  a  judicial  clerk 
under  the  supervision  of  a  judge). 

I  held  this  appointment  in  the  law  courts  of  Vienna  as  well  as  in 
Salzburg.  In  Salzburg  the  work  seemed  to  be  much  more  attractive, 
the  scenery  in  and  around  the  town  being  most  beautiful.  My  office 
was  in  an  old  castellated  tower,  just  under  the  belfry;  the  chimes 
sounded  sweetly  pretty  to  me  three  times  every  day. 


360  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

Of  course  I  wrote  much  more  for  the  theatres  than  for  the  law  courts. 
In  Salzburg  I  spent  some  of  the  happiest  hours  of  my  life.  I  would  have 
liked  to  stay  there  in  the  beautiful  town,  but,  as  a  Jew,  I  could  never 
have  advanced  to  the  position  of  a  judge.  I  therefore  bade  goodby  to 
Salzburg  and  law  business  at  the  same  time.  Again  I  caused  a  great  deal 
of  worry  to  the  rabbi  in  Budapest,  for  instead  of  going  in  for  a  real 
profession  or  for  an  art,  I  began  to  travel  and  to  write  for  newspapers 
and  for  the  theatre.  A  great  many  of  my  plays  were  performed  at 
different  theatres,  some  with  great  applause,  others  fell  flat.  Until  this 
minute  I  cannot  understand  why  some  of  my  plays  met  with  success 
while  others  were  hissed  off  the  stage.  However,  this  difference  of  the 
receptions  of  my  plays  taught  me  to  disregard  altogether  whether  the 
public  applauded  or  hissed  my  work.  One's  own  conscience  must  be 
satisfied  with  one's  work,  all  the  rest  is  immaterial.  I  disown  at  present 
all  my  plays,  even  those  which  are  still  applauded  at  the  Burgtheater 
(Imperial  Court  Theatre  in  Vienna).  I  don't  care  any  longer  for  any 
of  them. 

In  1889, 1  married.  I  have  three  children,  a  boy  and  two  girls.  In 
my  opinion  my  children  are  neither  ugly  nor  stupid.  But  of  course 
I  may  be  mistaken. 

While  traveling  in  Spain,  in  the  year  1891,  the  Neue  Freie  Presse 
made  me  the  offer  to  become  its  correspondent  in  Paris.  I  accepted  this 
position,  though  I  detested  and  despised  politics  up  to  that  time.  In 
Paris  I  had  occasion  to  learn  what  the  word  politics  means,  and  I  ex- 
pressed my  views  in  a  little  book,  "The  Palais  Burbon."  In  1895,  I  had 
quite  enough  of  Paris  and  returned  to  Vienna. 

During  the  last  two  months  of  my  residence  in  Paris,  I  wrote  the 
book,  "The  Jewish  State,"  to  which  I  owe  the  honor  of  having  been  asked 
by  you  for  some  biographical  data  of  my  humble  person. 

The  story  of  the  book  that  became  the  beginning  of  modern 
Zionism  is  particularly  interesting,     M.  Herzl  says: 

I  do  not  recollect  ever  having  written  anything  in  such  an  elevated 
frame  of  mind  as  that  book.  Heine  says  that  he  heard  the  wings 
of  an  eagle  beat  over  his  head  while  writing  certain  verses.  I 
do  believe  that  "something  also  beat"  above  my  head,  while  I  wrote 
that  book.  I  worked  at  it  every  day  until  I  was  completely  exhausted; 
my  only  relaxation  in  the  evening  consisted  in  listening  to  Wagner's 
music,  more  especially  to  "Tanhauser,"  which  opera  I  went  to  hear  as 
often  as  it  was  performed.  Only  on  those  evenings  when  there  at 
the  opera  I  felt  doubts  about  the  correctness  of  my  thoughts.  • 


THE  JEW.  361 

At  first  I  had  conceived  the  idea  to  write  my  pamphlet  concerning 
the  solution  of  the  Jewish  question  for  private  circulation  only  among 
my  friends.  The  publication  of  these  views  did  not  enter  into  my  plan 
until  later.  I  did  not  intend  to  commence  a  personal  agitation  for  the 
Jewish  cause. 

Most  people  will  be  surprised  at  present  when  they  hear  of  this 
former  resolution.  I  considered  the  whole  matter  as  only  fit  to  be  acted 
on,  and  not  to  be  talked  about. 

Public  agitation  should  only  become  my  "ultima  ratio,"  if  my 
private  advice  was  not  listened  to  or  not  obeyed.  When  I  had  finished 
my  book,  I  asked  one  of  my  oldest  and  best  friends  to  read  the  manu- 
script. While  reading  it  he  suddenly  commenced  to  cry.  I  found  this 
emotion  quite  natural,  as  he  was  a  Jew,  and  I  also  cried  several  times 
while  writing  the  book.  But  to  my  dismay  I  found  that  he  gave  quite  a 
different  cause  for  his  tears.  He  thought  that  I  was  gone  mad,  and 
being  my  friend,  my  misfortune  made  him  very  sad.  He  ran  away  with- 
out saying  another  word. 

After  a  sleepless  night,  he  came  back  to  me  the  next  morning  and 
besought  me  to  "leave  the  matter  alone,"  as  everybody  would  consider 
me  crazy.  He  was  excited  to  such  a  degree  that  I  promised  him  every- 
thing to  calm  his  feelings.  He  then  advised  me  to  consult  Nordau 
as  to  whether  my  plan  was  the  conception  of  a  responsible  person- 
"I  shall  ask  nobody,"  was  my  reply,  "if  my  ideas  make  that  effect 
upon  a  cultivated  and  devoted  friend  of  mine,  I  abandon  my  plan." 

I  then  passed  through  a  very  serious  crisis— I  can  only  compare  it 
to  the  throwing  of  a  red-hot  body  into  cold  water.  Of  course,  if  that 
body  happens  to  be  iron,  it  becomes  steel  by  the  process. 

My  friend,  of  whom  I  spoke  above,  had  to  make  up  my  accounts,  for 
telegram  disbursements.  When  he  gave  me  the  account  consisting  of  an 
immense  array  of  figures,  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  he  had  cast  up  the 
sums  incorrectly.  I  drew  his  attention  to  that  fact,  and  he  commenced 
to  do  the  sums  over  again.  Only  after  a  third  or  fourth  effort  his  sums 
agreed  with  mine. 

This  fact  gave  me  back  my  confidence  in  myself.  If  I  was  able  to 
"do  sums"  more  correctly  than  he,  my  reason  could  not  have  left  me 
completely. 

On  that  day  my  troubles  with  the  "Judenstaat"  commenced.  During 
the  two  years  and  more  since  that  time,  I  had  experienced  many, 
many  sad  days,  and  I  am  afraid  many  more  sad  days  will  still  fol- 
low. 

In  1895, 1  began  to  keep  a  diary;  five   stoat   volumes   have  been 


362  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

filled  already.  Should  I  ever  publish  them,  the  world  will'  be  surprised 
to  learn  what  I  had  to  endure;  who  were  the  enemies  of  my  plan,  and  on 
the  other  hand,  who  stood  by  me. 

But  one  thing  I  consider  as  certain,  beyond  a  doubt,  the  movement 
will  last.  I  do  not  know  when  I  shall  die;  but  Zionism  will  never  die. 
Since  the  days  at  Basle  the  Jewish  people  have  again  a  popular  repre- 
sentation; consequently  the  "Judenstaat"  will  arise  in  its  own  country. 

Israel  Zangwill,  the  popular  Hebrew  author,  is  now  one  of  the 
enthusiastic  believers  in  Zionism.  But  even  before  he  identified 
himself  with  that  movement,  he  said  of  its  great  leader: 

A  majestic  Oriental  figure,  the  president's — not  so  tall  as  it 
appears  when  he  draws  himself  up  and  stands  dominating  the  assembly 
with  eyes  that  brood  and  glow — you  would  say  one  of  the  Assyrian 
kings,  whose  sculptured  heads  adorn  our  museums,  the  very  profile  of 
Tiglath-Pileser.  In  sooth,  the  beautiful  face  of  a  kingly  dreamer,  but  of 
a  Jewish  dreamer,  who  faces  the  fact  that  flowers  are  grown  in  dung. 
A  Shelley  beats  in  the  air  his  luminous  wings  in  vain;  our  Jewish 
dreamer  dreams  along  the  lines  of  life;  his  dream  but  discounts  the 
future,  his  prophecy  is  merely  fore-speaking,  his  vision  prevision. 

He  talks  agriculture,  viticulture,  subvention  of  the  Ottoman  empire, 
both  by  direct  tribute  and  indiscreet  enrichment;  stocks  and  shares, 
railroads,  internal  and  India;  natural  development  under  exploitation — 
all  the  jargon  of  our  iron  age.  Let  nob  his  movement  be  confounded 
with  those  petty  projects  for  helping  Jewish  agriculturists  into  Pal- 
estine! What!  improve  the  sultan's  land  without  any  political  equiva- 
lent guaranteed  in  advance!  Difficulty  about  the  holy  places  of  Chris- 
tianity and  Islam?    Pooh!  extra-territorial. 

A  practiced  publicist,  a  trained  lawyer,  a  not  unsuccessful  comedy 
writer,  converted  to  social  self-consciousness  by  the  "Flep  Fleps"  of 
Vienna,  and  hurried  into  unforeseen  action  by  his  own  paper  scheme  of  a 
Jewish  State,  he  has,  perhaps,  at  last — and  not  unreluctantly — found 
himself  a  man  as  a  leader  of  men. 

In  a  congress  of  impassioned  rhetoricians  he  remains  serene, 
moderate;  his  voice  is  for  the  most  part  subdued;  in  its  most  emo- 
tional abandonments  there  is  a  dry  undertone,  almost  harsh.  He 
quells  disorder  with  a  look,  with  a  word,  with  a  sharp  touch  of  bell. 
The  cloven  hoof  of  the  Socialist  peeps  out  from  a  little  group.  At  once 
"The  congress  shall  be  captured  by  no  party!"  And  the  congress  is  in 
roars  of  satisfation. 


THE  JEW.  363 

M.  Zangwill  further  says  about  Dr.  Herzl's  great  plan: 

Dr.  Herzl's  movement  is  a  movement  for  the  integration  of  the 
scattered  forces  of  Israel,  and  the  expression  of  this  unity  by  a  national 
politically  guaranteed  home  in  Palestine,  that  may  serve  as  a  shelter 
for  the  homeless  and  oppressed,  and  a  beacon  for  those  prosperously 
sheltered  elsewhere. 

Like  so  many  other  agents  in  this  epical  drama,  Dr.  Herzl  started  with 
no  partiality  for  Palestine.  His  book,  "Die  Judenstaat,"  published  in  1887, 
which  was  intended  to  be  his  sole  contribution  to  the  national  migration 
it  preached,  is  willing  to  accept  Argentine  equally.  But  he,  too,  has  been 
set  on  the  road  toZion,  even  as  he  has  been  transformed  willy-nilly  from 
a  writer  into  a  man  of  action  of  the  first  order.  It  is  the  best  sign 
of  the  progress  of  his  cause  that  his  book  is  already  obsolete.  Yet 
in  a  sense  all  his  ideas  have  become  realities.  The  annual  congress  is 
the  embryo  of  a  National  Parliament.  The  Jewish  company  of  the 
brochure  is  the  Jewish  Colonial  Trust  of  reality,  while  its  Constitutional 
Council  represents  the  projected  Society  of  Jews.  In  a  brief  five  years, 
he  has  piloted  his  scheme  through  storms  of  abuse  and  hostility  from 
every  class  of  Jews  till  the  vaporings  of  a  visionary  have  become 
a  political  possibility,  discussed  at  four  great  international  congresses, 
approved  by  the  German  emperor,  not  disapproved  by  the  czar,  favorably 
considered  by  the  sultan  of  Turkey,  the  ruler  of  Palestine;  worked  for 
by  societies  throughout  Europe,  and  America,  and  South  Africa;  cap- 
italized by  a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  shareholders,  and  constituting 
the  greatest  Jewish  movement  since  the  foundation  of  Christianity. 

There  is  the  Jew,  then,  looking  back  upon  a  history  of  many 
centuries,  which  pass  before  our  view  as  an  ugly  dream;  but 
awakening  and  finding  the  brightest  prospects  for  the  future. 
"Zionism,"  says  Dr.  Herzl,  "will  never  die."  None  are  better  aware 
of  the  obstacles  to  its  realization  than  are  the  Zionists  themselves. 
But  to  the  eye  of  faith,  there  are  no  obstacles.  Speaking  from  a 
merely  human  point  of  view,  it  looks  as  if  centuries  would  be  re- 
quired to  prepare  the  way  for  the  re-habilitation  of  the  Jewish 
state;  but  it  is  God's  work;  not  that  of  man.  And  the  Lord  can 
accomplish  in  a  day  what  we  would  judge  to  be  the  work  of 
a  thousand  years,  just  as  he  can  delay  for  a  thousand  years 
what  we  would  think  could  be  done  in  a  day.  Because  we 
are  apt  to  forget  this  truth,  we  often  fail  to  understand  God's 
dealings  with  his  children. 


COUNSEL  TO  BOYS  ENGAGED   IN    ISOLATED 

LABOR. 

BY  ELDER  M.  F.  COWLEY,  OF  THE  QUORUM  OF  THE  TWELVE  APOSTLES. 


While  in  attendance  at  one  of  our  stake  conferences,  we 
observed  on  the  streets  a  large  number  of  boys  smoking  cigarettes. 
This  not  only  at  one  time,  but  also  between  meetings  and  before  the 
opening  of  the  forenoon  sessions.  In  commenting  upon  this 
pernicious  habit,  it  was  said  that  the  ward  in  question  and 
one  other  in  the  stake  were  notorious  for  cigarette  smokers,  a 
large  percentage  of  the  boys  and  men  being  guilty  of  this  de- 
moralizing practice.  Upon  inquiry  as  to  the  cause,  the  answer 
was  that  many  of  the  boys  and  young  men  followed  the  vocation 
of  sheep-herding,  and  were  thus  thrown  into  a  measure  of  seclusion, 
away  from  home  and  the  benefits  of  an  elevating  and  refining 
influence  which  usually  attends  home- life;  and  away  from  the 
social,  spiritual  and  intellectual  influences  which  attach  to  every 
well-regulated  ward  throughout  the  Church.  Such  influences 
are  ever  needed  for  the  protection  and  for  the  welfare  of  the 
young. 

Because,  like  Abel  and  David,  a  boy  is  the  shepherd  of  a  flock, 
it  does  not  follow  that  he  must  learn  evil  habits.  The  fact,  how- 
ever, that  he  does,  is  proof  of  human  weakness,  and  of  the  effects 
of  environments  over  the  human  mind.  The  mind  insists  on 
being  active  in  channels  either  for  good  or  ill,  and  should,  there- 
fore, be  taken  away  and  protected  from  sinful  thoughts  which 
lead  to  evil  deeds.  Perhaps  no  evil  is  more  prevalent  and  popular 
with  the  boys  than  cigarette  smoking,  and  very  few  things  result 


COUNSEL  TO  BOYS.  365 

in  greater  harm  to  body  and  mind.  Tobacco  is  a  narcotic  poison. 
It  is  claimed  by  physicians,  men  who  have  studied  the  human 
body,  that  the  effects  of  tobacco  are  bad  however  it  is  used,  in  the 
pipe,  the  cigar,  or  in  chewing;  and  worst  of  all  is  the  bad  effect  of 
it  in  a  paper  cigarette.  The  paper  itself  is  injurious,  and  adds  to 
the  evil  of  the  tobacco. 

It  would  not  seem  a  difficult  task  to  convince  young  men 
that  the  tobacco  habit  is  very  injurious  to  them;  and  yet,  the  fact 
that  so  many  are  guilty  of  this  practice  would  indicate  that  large 
numbers  are  not  thus  convinced,  or  they  would  not  so  grossly  violate 
their  convictions  of  right.  The  fact  exists,  nevertheless,  that  the 
tendency  to  evil  is  so  strong,  and  the  force  of  character  in  man  so 
lacking,  that  human  beings  rush  madly  down  the  road  to  ruin  quite 
conscious  of  being  on  that  road.  The  world  of  men  recognizes, 
by  the  testimony  of  human  experience,  the  demonstrations  of 
science,  and  teachings  of  learned  men,  that  the  tobacco  habit  is 
a  great  evil.  In  addition,  Latter-day  Saints  are  taught  of  God,  by 
direct  revelation  that  tobacco,  strong  and  hot  drinks,  and  ex- 
cessive use  of  animal  food,  are  not  good  for  man.  Tobacco,  the 
Lord  says,  "is  not  good  for  the  body,  neither  for  the  belly,  and  is  not 
good  for  man,  but  is  an  herb  for  bruises  and  all  sick  cattle,  to 
be  used  with  judgment  and  skill." 

That  Latter-day  Saints  will  disregard  these  divine  words, 
indicates  a  lack  of  sincere  conviction  or  devotion  to  their  own 
professions.  The  Latter-day  Saints,  while  suffering,  from  a 
natural  point  of  view,  the  same  evil  results  as  others  suffer 
arising  from  violating  the  Word  of  Wisdom,  are  under  much 
greater  condemnation,  because  the  injunction  to  observe  this  law  is 
from  God,  and  not  from  man,  and  is  given  as  a  principle  to  be  ob- 
served by  all  members  of  the  Church;  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice 
"adapted  to  the  capacity  of  the  weak  and  weakest  of  all  Saints  who 
are  or  can  be  called  Saints."  By  this  language  is  conveyed  the 
idea  that  any  who  may  say  that  they  cannot  observe  this  principle 
are  unworthy  to  be  called  the  Saints  of  God.  That  the  revelation 
was  given  first,  not  by  commandment  to  be  made  a  question  of 
fellowship  to  those  who  fail  in  its  observance,  but  as  a  word  of 
counsel,  a  matter  of  wisdom,  etc.,  does  not  justify  the  Saints  in 
treating  it  with  less  respect  than  a  direct  commandment. 


366  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

When  the  Lord  expresses  his  will,  and  points  out  what  would 
please  him,  it  is  indeed  an  ungrateful  and  unwhorthy  servant  who 
will  violate  the  Father's  will  and  counsel,  simply  because  it  is 
not  given  by  direct  commandment.  The  word  of  the  Lord  to  us  is: 
"It  is  not  meet  that  I  should  command  in  all  things,  for  he  that  is 
compelled  in  all  things,  the  same  is  a  slothful  and  not  a  wise 
servant;  wherefore  he  receiveth  no  reward"  (Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants 58:  26).  Then  follows:  "Men  should  be  anxiously  engaged 
in  a  good  cause,  and  do  many  things  of  their  own  free  will,  and 
bring  to  pass  much  righteousness." 

We  are,  however,  reminded  that  many  years  ago  President 
Brigham  Young,  the  mouth-piece  of  the  Lord  to  this  people, 
presented  the  Word  of  Wisdom  as  being  now  a  commandment  for 
our  observance.  We  had  been  borne  with  for  a  long  time,  and  had 
taken  advantage,  probably,  of  God's  mercy,  and  the  confidence  he 
had  reposed  in  our  love  and  devotion  to  our  heavenly  Father. 
He  has  given  us  to  understand,  later,  through  his  prophet,  that 
this  law  must  be  observed,  or  be  followed  by  the  same  divine 
disapproval  ar.d  condemnation  as  is  the  violation  of  any  other  of 
his  statutes. 

Much  of  the  tobacco  habit,  on  the  part  of  the  young,  is 
due  to  the  bad  example  set  them  by  their  elder  brethren.  Young 
men  should  learn  the  truth,  and  be  governed  by  it,  no  matter 
what  may  be  the  evil  example  of  others,  and  regardless  of 
who  they  may  be  who  set  the  example  of  wrong-doing.  Where 
young  men  are  engaged  in  herding  sheep,  or  at  other  isolated 
labor  where  idleness  is  possible,  they  should  be  determined  to  read 
good  books,  to  engage  in  refining  conversation,  and  to  entertain 
pure  and  elevating  thoughts.  By  this  course,  by  the  exercise  of 
faith  in  the  Lord,  and  by  humble  prayer,  there  will  be  little  or  no 
inclination  to  indulge  in  those  vile  habits  that  enervate  the  body, 
deaden  the  intellect,  and  drive  from  our  young  men  the  companion- 
ship of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


TALKS  TO  YOUNG  MEN. 


V.— "THE  SAME  IS  DAMNED." 

Men  rise  the  higher  as  their  task  is  high, 
The  task  being  well  achieved. — George  Eliot. 

Something  over  a  year  ago,  I  read  in  the  Improvement  Era 
that" the  young  men  of  this  community  had,  on  the  whole,  lost  the 
vitality  of  their  fathers,  that  they  could  not  be  trusted  to  do  a 
bit  of  work  requiring  skill  and  brains,  and  that  their  places  had  to 
be  filled  by  men  who  were  in  every  essential  particular  their  in- 
feriors, but  who  could  be  depended  upon. 

I  must  confess  that  when  I  read  this,  I  was  sorely  tempted  to 
fling  the  magazine  across  the  room,  for  printing  what  I  considered 
to  be  a  foul  slander.  "It  is  a  falsehood,"  I  said;  "and  there  can 
be  no  excuse  for  publishing  it.  The  writer  of  it  is  a  crank,  a  pes- 
simist, an  enemy  of  our  young  men."  From  that  day  on,  I  deter- 
mined to  find  out  to  what  extent  it  was  true.  I  talked  with  peo- 
ple about  the  question;  I  enquired  of  employers;  I  observed  the 
young  men  whose  capacity  I  had  every  day  the  opportunity  of 
measuring.  And  the  upshot  of  it  all  was,  that  I  found  more  truth  in 
the  statement  than  formerly  I  could  possibly  have  been  made  to 
believe. 

These  strictures  applies,  of  course,  only  to  a  certain  class  of 
young  men  among  us.  But  this  class  is  altogether  too  large,  and, 
for  aught  I  know,  is  growing.  These  young  men  are  always  on 
the  lookout  for  "soft  snaps."  They  shun  difficulties.  They  abhor 
hard  wdrk.  They  swarm  our  business  colleges,  studying  how  to 
become  bookkeepers  and  stenographers.  (Not  that  I  would  be  un- 
derstood as  implying  that  all  bookkeepers  and  stenographers  are 
shirkers;  for  as  a  class  they  are  honorable  enough,  when  they  en- 


368  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

ter  their  profession  from  right  motives).  And  they  meantime  lie 
about  dreaming  of  great  things  to  come  by  and  by.  If  they  are 
attending  school,  they  study  just  enough  to  pass  the  examinations 
by  the  skin  <  f  their  teeth.  If  they  are  tradesmen,  they  find  out 
only  enough  about  their  trade  to  get  along  in  it.  They  are  con- 
tent with  the  shallowest  mediocrity.  They  never  exert  themselves 
to  the  utmost  of  their  power.  They  never  reach  out  beyond  them- 
selves. They  never  know  the  joy  of  sounding  the  depths,  of  trying 
their  strength,  of  doing  things  well.  They  do  not  look  into  the 
future  in  search  of  a  gauge  of  their  conduct.  They  take  liter- 
ally the  scriptural  saying:  "Sufficient  unto  the  day."  They  have 
a  mortal  dread  of  responsibility.  "I  can't"  is  ever  on  their  lips 
and  in  their  hearts.  After  a  time  they  get  into  a  rut,  as  the  last 
paper  declared,  and  run  down  hill. 

But  enough  of  picking  flaws.  What  can  these  young  men  do 
to  help  themselves?  The  best  answer  to  this  question  is  found  in 
the  fifty-eighth  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  Read  it, 
boys,  and  get  it  by  heart;  it  is  a  marvelous  passage: 

Verily  I  say,  men  should  be  anxiously  engaged-  in  a  good  cause,  and 
do  many  things  of  their  own  free  will,  and  bring  to  pass  much  righteous- 
ness; for  the  power  is  in  them,  wherein  they  are  agents  unto  themselves. 
And  inasmuch  as  men  do  good  they  shall  in  nowise  lose  their  reward- 
But  he  that  doeth  not  anything  until  he  is  commanded,  and  receiveth  a 
commandment  with  a  doubtful  heart,  and  keepeth  it  with  slothfulness, 
the  same  is  damned. 

The  lesson  here,  then,  is,  court  responsibility  and  independence 
of  character;  be  earnest  and  anxi-ous  in  what  you  do  if  it  is  a 
good  cause.  Without  responsibility  there  can  be  no  genuine 
growth,  no  development  of  individual  power.  Conversely,  the 
greater  the  individual  responsibility,  the  greater  the  power.  If 
this  needed  proving,  we  would  only  have  to  point  to  our  young  men 
who  perform  foreign  missions.  Who  would  be  so  hazardous  as  to 
predict  that  this  youth,  who  cannot  utter  five  consecutive  and  in- 
telligible sentences  at  his  farewell  party,  would  in  two  years,  by 
any  process  whatever,  be  able  to  interest  a  large  audience  for  an 
hour  or  an  hour  and  a  half?  And  yet  we  see  this  wonderful  trans- 
formation on  every  hand.     Why  is  it?      Simply  because,  humanly 


TALKS  TO   YOUNG  MEN.  369 

speaking,  he  has  accepted  a  task  that  was  higher  than  he  thought 
he  could  perform,  and  achieved  that  task  well;  that  is,  exerted  his 
powers  to  the  uttermost.  This  exertion,  repeated,  brought 
strength.     And  we  see  the  effect — a  miracle  of  power. 

But  this  class  of  young  men  want  to  do  something  important 
now;  they  want  to  pass  over  the  insignificant  steps  that  lead  to 
greatness.  To  preside  over  a  small  meeting  in  their  ward  is  too 
trifling  for  them;  they  want  to  head  an  army,  or  to  be  president 
of  the  United  States.  And  what  would  they  do  if  they 
were  placed  in  a  position  of  great  responsibility?  Lose  their  heads, 
make  themselves  ridiculous,  and  be  crushed  by  its  terrible  weight. 
The  apprentice  at  carpentry  is  not  given  the  highest  kind 
of  work  to  do  at  first.  He  must  do  a  multitude  of  less  im- 
portant things  before  he  can  be  trusted  to  do  that.  The  great 
commander  must  come  up  through  a  variety  of  "insignificant"  de- 
grees before  he  is  fit  to  lead.  Preside  over  your  small  meetings 
first,  then  the  presidency  of  big  audiences  may  come;  perform 
well  your  part  on  the  program  now,  then  you  may  be  able  after  a 
while  to  sway  immense  throngs  by  your  eloquence;  keep  your 
small  store,  and  afterwards  you  may  be  given  charge  of  larger 
concerns,  by  and  by.  But  if  you  don't  do  now  the  little  things  well, 
the  time  will  never  come  when  you  will  be  given  the  chance  to  do 
great  things. 

Never,  then,  shirk  a  responsibility.  Always  do  as  you  are 
asked,  if  you  sacrifice  not  your  honor.  Never  mind  the  future,  if 
you  take  real  care  of  the  present;  the  future  will  find  a  place  for 
you.  If  the  task  is  hard,  so  much  the  better.  Performing  it  well 
will  insure  you  strength  to  some  higher  task,  which,  "being  well 
achieved,"  will  in  time  raise  you,  till  in  future  what  once  seemed  im- 
possible will  be  simple.  This  is  the  only  secret  of  growth.  On 
the  contrary,  if  you  do  not  improve  the  opportunity  to  carry 
trust  and  responsibility,  you  will  receive  little  or  no  growth.  Your 
powers  will  remain  the  same,  if  they  do  not  actually  diminish.  For 
he  that  is  a  slothful  servant,  the  same  is  damned. 


PUBLJC    WORKERS. 

JOSEPH  BULL. 


Among  the  public  workers  of  our  community  during  the  past 
half  century  was  the  late  Elder  Joseph  Bull,  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
whose  death  occurred  on  the  11th  of  January,  1904.  It  was  in 
January,  1852,  that  he  began  to  work  for  the  Church  publishing 
house — the  Deseret  News — and  it  was  January,  1904,  that  he  per- 
formed his  last  day's  work  for  that  same  institution,  and  a  few 
days  later  went  to  his  rest.  There  were  several  intervals  during  this 
period  of  fifty-two  years  in  which  he  was  not  engaged  at  the 
Church  publishing  establishment,  but  most  of  this  time  was  spent 
in  the  mission  fields  abroad,  in  which  service  he  labored  for  more  than 
eight  years.  Practically  his  whole  life,  after  his  first  coming  to  Utah, 
was  given  to  public  service.  This  long  term  of  activity  entitles 
him  to  honorable  mention  among  those  whose  lives  are  briefly 
sketched  in  these  papers. 

Joseph  Bull  was  a  native  of  Leicester,  England,  where  he 
was  born  January  25,  1832.  His  parents  were  Daniel  and  Eliza- 
beth Burdette  Bull.  After  receiving  a  common  school  education, 
he  engaged  to  learn  the  printing  business,  at  the  age  of  fourteen. 
The  firm  to  which  he  was  apprenticed  failed  before  his  time  ex- 
pired, but  the  qualifications  he  had  thus  far  developed  helped  him 
to  obtain  a  situation  in  a  leading  printing  establisment  in  Birming- 
ham. He  remained  at  this  latter  place  until  the  end  of  the  year 
1850.  In  the  meantime  he  had  become  interested  in  the  teachings 
of  the  Latter-  day  Saints,  and  in  February,  1848,  when  sixteen 
years  old,  united  with  the  Church. 

His  object  in  leaving  his  situation  in  Birmingham  was  to 
gather  with  the  Saints  in  Utah,  and  on  the  6th  of  January,  1851, 


PUBLIC  WORKERS.  371 

he  sailed  from  Liverpool  with  a  company  of  Saints  bound  for  New 
Orleans.  The  ship  on  which  he  embarked  collided  with  a  schooner 
in  the  Irish  channel,  and  was  disabled.  This  made  it  necessary 
for  the  vessel  to  go  under  repairs,  and  for  this  purpose  it  was  run 
into  Cardigan  bay,  where  it  remained  three  weeks.  Owing  to  this 
delay,  it  did  not  reach  New  Orleans  till  March  14. 

From  New  Orleans,  Brother  Ball  went  by  steamer  to  St. 
Louis,  and  from  there  to  Council  Bluffs.  There  he  worked  in  the 
office  of  the  Frontier  Guardian,  a  paper  published  at  that  time 
by  Apostle  Orson  Hyde.  He  walked  from  Council  Bluffs  to  Utah, 
and  drove  a  herd  of  cattle  the  whole  distance,  receiving  hia 
board  in  payment  for  his  services  as  driver. 

It  was  on  September  15  that  he  arrived  in  Salt  Lake  City.  He 
labored  that  fall  at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do,  assisting  masons 
and  plasterers,  and  getting  wood  from  the  canyons.  He  did  not 
expect  to  find  work  at  printing  in  those  early  days  of  Utah's  set- 
tlement, but  expected  to  turn  his  attention  to  farming  when  the 
season  opened.  Early  in  January,  1852,  he  undertook  with  others 
to  dig  a  drain  ditch  in  Bountiful,  then  known  as  Sessions'  Settle- 
ment, Davis  county.  While  at  this  work,  Dr.  Willard  Richards, 
editor  of  the  Deseret  News,  sent  for  him,  and  engaged  him  to  work 
in  the  office  of  that  paper.  The  legislature  was  in  session,  and  help 
was  needed  to  get  out  the  printing  required.  He  not  only  worked 
as  a  compositor,  but  also  as  a  pressman,  and  even  made  printing 
inks  for  special  purposes. 

Three  years  after  his  arrival  in  Utah,  Brother  Bull  became  a 
married  man.  He  wedded  Miss  Emma  Green,  formerly  of  Birming- 
ham, England.  Six  months  later  he  was  called  upon  a  mission  to 
California,  with  Elders  George  Q.  Cannon  and  Matthew  P.  Wilkie 
to  print  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the  Hawaiian  language,  and  to  pub  - 
lish  the  Western  Standard,  a  weekly  newspaper  8in  the  interest  o 
the  Church.  Between  June,  1855,  and  January,  1856,  the  work  of 
printing  two  thousand  copies  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  com- 
pleted by  these'  three  men.  The  first  number  of  the  Standard 
was  issued  February  23,  following.  Elder  Bull  was  appointed 
president  of  the  San  Francisco  conference  of  the  Church,  and  later 
— in  July,  1857 — was  called  to  fill  a  mission  to  the  Sandwich  Islands 
to  publish  a  newspaper  in  the  Hawaiian  language.     When  about  to 


372  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

start  for  this  new  field  of  labor,  a  call  was  made  for  the  elders  to 
return  to  Utah,  owing  to  the  coming  of  Johnston's  army.  He 
reached  Utah  in  January,  1858,  and  resumed  his  labors  in  the 
Deseret  News  office. 

Besides  his  labors  in  the  mechanical  department  of  the  news- 
paper, Elder  Bull  frequently  made  trips  through  the  territory  in 
the  interest  of  the  business,  and  once  made  a  trip  to  San  Francisco 
to  procure  a  supply  of  paper.  This  journey  of  nearly  three  thousand 
miles,  going  and  returning  by  the  southern  route,  was  made  by  team 
in  a  little  over  three  months,  and  by  covering  the  distance  so  expe- 
ditiously he  prevented  the  paper  from  suspending  publication.  Later 
on  he  made  periodical  business  trips  both  east  and  west  for  the 
News,  and  became  familiarly  known  among  those  with  whom  he 
did  business  as  the  "Mormon  newspaper  man."  In  August,  1860, 
he  was  installed  as  foreman  of  the  printing  department  of  the 
News,  but  soon  afterwards  he  was  on  his  way  to  Europe  to  fill  an- 
other mission.  He  reached  Liverpool,  England,  on  the  12th  of 
December.  He  was  first  sent  to  preside  over  the  Bedford  con- 
ference; then,  in  1863,  to  occupy  a  similar  position  in  the  Leeds 
district,  comprising  the  Sheffield,  Leeds  and  Hull  conferences.  He 
also  labored  in  the  Millennial  Star  office,  and  superintended  the 
publication  of  several  of  the  Church  works. 

After  an  absence  of  four  years  he  returned  home,  and  also  to 
his  former  position  in  the  printing  establishment.  In  the  fall  of 
1866,  he  was  released  for  a  time  from  his  position  as  foreman  on 
the  newspaper  to  take  charge  of  the  publication  of  the  Juvenile 
Instructor,  which  had  been  started  at  the  beginning  of  that  year 
by  Apostle  George  Q.  Cannon.  Again  he  was  assigned  to  his  place 
in  the  printing  department  of  the  News,  and  for  a  period  of  about 
ten  years  acted  as  purchasing  agent  and  advertising  solicitor  in 
connection  with  his  other  duties.  In  the  fall  of  1877,  Elder  Bull 
started  on  another  mission  to  England,  accompanied  by  his  wife. 
This  time  he  was  absent  about  two  years.  Besides  laboring  in  the 
Birmingham  and  Liverpool  conferences,  he  superintended  the 
printing  of  several  of  the  Church  publications.  Returning  home, 
he  again  took  up  his  labors  at  the  office  of  the  Deseret  News,  pre- 
ferring to  stay  with  this  establishment,  although  having  had,  at 
several  times,  offers  of  employment  in  other  places.     Soon  after 


PUBLIC  WORKERS.  373 

the  opening  of  the  Salt  Lake  Temple  he  was  engaged  therein,  and 
his  wife  also  became  one  of  the  workers  there. 

On  October  24,  1895,  his  wife  died  of  pneumonia,  after  a 
brief  illness.  Elder  Bull  married  again  in  January,  1897,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Miss  Zina  V.  Hyde,  daughter  of  the  late  Apostle 
Orson  Hyde.  After  a  few  years'  service  in  the  Salt  Lake  Temple, 
he  again  took  to  the  printing  business  in  the  pioneer  establishment 
of  Utah,  where  he  remained,  as  already  stated,  until  within  a  few 
days  of  his  death. 

Elder  Bull's  life  was  an  exceedingly  active  and  useful  one.  He 
was  full  of  energy,  and  loved  his  work,  in  which  he  took  a  great 
deal  of  pride.  He  was  not  ashamed  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
working  man,  and  did  what  he  could  to  dignify  labor.  He  qualified 
himself  in  his  profession,  and  added  to  this  qualification  the  highly 
valuable  quality  of  trustworthiness.  He  was  thorough  and  reli- 
able, and  could  always  be  depended  upon  to  carry  to  a  successful 
finish  whatever  he  undertook  to  do.  It  was  these  principles  in  his 
character  that  made  him  so  useful  in  his  chosen  occupation;  and  it 
is  these  principles  that  make  men  valuable  in  every  useful  pursuit. 
A  man  may  have  brilliant  natural  talents,  but  unless  he  cultivates 
with  those  talents  the  habits  of  industry  and  perseverance,  and  es- 
tablishes a  character  for  reliability,  his  native  ability  is  of  little 
avail. 


SOME   LEADING    EVENTS    IN    THE   CURRENT 
STORY   OF  THE  WORLD. 

BY  DR.   J.  M.  TANNER,   SUPERINTENDENT   OF   CHURCH  SCHOOLS. 


War  in  the  Far  East. 

The  announcement  that  the  Japanese  had  attacked  the  Rus- 
sian fleet  at  Port  Arthur  and  badly  damaged  three  Russian  war 
ships  was  the  first  declaration  of  war  by  Japan  against  Russia.  The 
early  naval  engagement  had  a  telling  effect  in  favor  of  Japan, 
whose  first  move  was  to  disable  and  endanger  the  efficiency  of  the 
Russian  fleet.  This  was  necessary  in  order  that  the  Japanese 
might  move  their  land  troops  undisturbed  into  Korea  and  Man- 
churia. 

For  months,  a  diplomatic  controversy  has  been  going  on  be- 
tween Russia  and  Japan,  and  all  the  time  both  nations  have  been 
pushing  on  vigorously  preparations  for  war.  Throughout  all  the 
diplomatic  procedure,  there  has  been  a  striking  contrast  between 
the  methods  of  the  Japanese  and  the  Russians;  the  former  have 
acted  in  a  prompt,  decisive  and  open  manner;  the  latter  have  de- 
layed their  answers,  consumed  all  the  time  possible,  and  have  been 
indirect  and  evasive  in  all  their  dealings.  The  terms  of  the  pro- 
posed negotiations  have  not  been  given  to  the  public,  and  only 
such  information  as  could  be  obtained  through  the  worming  of  the 
press  agents,  and  on  "reliable  authority,"  has  come  to  the  public. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  negotiations,  the  Czar  of  Russia 
came  out  with  strong  declarations  of  his  determination  to  preserve 
peace,  and  yield,  as  far  as  national  pride  would  possibly  permit,  to 
the  demands  of  Japan.  No  doubt  the  Czar  sincerely  hoped  for 
peace;  but  though  he  is   autocrat  of   all  the  Russias,  he  is  still 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  375 

more  or  less  subject  to  the  predominant  influence  of  leading  Rus- 
sians who  really  belong  to  what  is  styled  the  war  party  of  that 
country.  But  that  is  really  Russian  policy, — to  ask  for  everything 
at  the  outset,  and  stop  with  what  she  really  wants;  and  no  doubt 
the  Czar  was  really  ready  to  make  important  concessions  to  Japan, 
in  order  to  avert  a  war,  and  yield  to  the  pressure  of  her  ally, 
France. 

So  far  as  the  outside  world  is  permitted  to  know  the  terms 
of  Russia's  offer  before  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  the  situation  was 
about  as  follows: 

1— Russia  was  prepared  to  grant  Japan  all  the  latter  asked 
for  in  Korea.  2 — Russia  was  ready  to  acknowledge  Chinese  sov- 
ereignty in  Manchuria,  and  to  respect  all  treaty  rights  made  be- 
tween China  and  foreign  nations  with  respect  to  trade  in  Manchu- 
ria. 3 — Russia  was  willing  to  embody  the  terms  of  propositions 
one  and  two  in  a  formal  treaty.  4— Russia  gave  assurance  that 
she  would  not  initiate  war,  even  though  Japan  should  occupy 
Korea. 

These  propositions  contained  all  that  Japan  had  been  con- 
tending for,  but  there  was  a  string  to  the  "April  fool  wallet,"  by 
which  the  Japanese  clearly  foresaw  that  all  these  treaty  rights  could 
be  snatched  away  from  Japan  at  the  moment  the  latter  stooped  to 
pick  them  up.  Russia  tacked  on  to  her  very  literal  concessions 
an  inventory  setting  forth  Russia's  interests  and  rights  in  [Man- 
churia. The  recognition  of  these  inventorial  rights  would  really 
place  Manchuria  in  complete  control  of  Russia,  and  place  that 
Chinese  province  in  about  the  same  position  that  Egypt  is  today. 
Turkey  nominally  governs  Egypt,  but  only  nominally.  So  the 
Japanese  clearly  foresaw  in  the  Russian  inventory  what  they  hon- 
estly believed  to  be  a  trick.  At  the  same  time,  the  Russians  were 
moving  their  troops  forward  to  occupy  the  most  important  posi- 
tions for  strategic  purposes.  The  movement,  therefore,  of  the 
Russian  navy  and  land  forces  came  so  near  the  point  of  a  challenge 
to  war  that  the  Japanese  felt  that  a  moment's  time  could  not  be 
lost,  and  struck  a  staggering  blow  to  Russia,  without  waiting  for 
the  formal  declaration  of  war,  although  it  is  said  that  the  Russians 
made  the  first  attack  upon  the  Japanese  at  Chemulpo  fort,  in  west- 
ern Korea. 


376  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

It  may  be  asked,  Why  are  the  Japanese  so  insistent  about 
Manchuria?  Their  answer  is,  "Because  we  have  the  lion's  share  of 
trade  in  that  rich  Chinese  province."  The  Japanese  have  an  old 
grudge  that  arose  in  1895,  after  the  defeat  of  China  by  Japan. 
By  the  treaty  of  Simonoseki,  China  ceded  the  possession  of  south- 
ern Manchuria  to  Japan.  Russia,  backed  by  Germany  and  France, 
informed  Japan  that  it  would  not  do  for  any  country  to  interfere 
with  the  integrity  of  China,  or  make  territorial  annexation,  and 
that  Japan  must  give  up  southern  Manchuria.  The  Japanese  were 
forced  to  yield,  and  a  little  later  to  see  the  Russians  themselves 
take  possession  of  Manchuria.  It  was  much  the  same  with  Port 
Arthur. 

Practically,  all  Korean  resources  are  under  the  control  of 
the  Japanese,  who  own  and  control  two  railroads  in  that  kingdom. 
Under  the  pretext  of  getting  a  timber  concession  along  the  Yalu 
river,  the  Russians  began  their  encroachment  upon  Korea.  From 
that  moment,  the  Japanese  honestly  believed  they  foresaw  as  com- 
plete an  absorption  of  Korea  by  Russia  as  the  latter's  absorption  of 
Manchuria  had  been.  Korea  is  an  absolute  necessity  to  Japanese 
enterprise  and  commercial  expansion.  For  Japan,  the  situation  has 
become  desperate.  The  Japanese  have  been  quiet  but  firm  in  their 
determination;  their  self-control  under  the  most  trying  ordeal  has 
won  the  admiration  of  the  world.  With  them  the  war  means  a 
life-and- death  struggle.  The  independence  of  Korea  is  just  as 
much  a  "Monroe  doctrine"  to  the  Japanese,  as  the  independence  of 
the  South  American  republics  is  to  the  United  States. 

The  Attitude  of  the  United  States. 

John  Hay,  our  Secretary  of  State,  immediately  upon  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  between  Japan  and  Russia  communicated  to 
the  Great  Powers  a  note  asking  that  they  join  in  a  declaration  to 
Russia  and  Japan  that  under  no  circumstances,  whatever  might  be 
the  outcome  of  the  war,  would  either  of  those  countries  be  per- 
mitted to  infringe  upon  China's  sovereignty  over  Manchuria.  The 
note  will  be  quite  agreeable  to  Great  Britain;  and  Germany  is  said 
to  look  upon  it  in  a  favorable  light;  France,  the  ally  of  Russia, 
will  probably  take  no  action  in  the  matter;  and  even  Russia  dis- 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  377 

claims  any  intention  to  interfere  with  China's  sovereignty  in  this 
province. 

Manchuria  is  of  vital  interest  to  the  United  States,  as  it  is 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  Asiatic  markets  for  our  exports. 
American  commerce  over  the  Pacific  is  now  guarded  with  the 
utmost  jealousy,  and  the  reason  for  our  jealousy  will  appear  in 
the  fact  that  within  the  last  ten  years  our  exports  to  Asia  have 
increased  from  sixteen  to  fifty- five  million  dollars  annually.  In 
Oceanica  the  increase  has  been  from  eleven  to  thirty- seven  mil- 
lion, so  that  our  exports  to  Asia  are  greatly  in  excess  of  what  they 
are  to  South  America.  These  rapid  strides  in  our  foreign  trade 
with  eastern  Asia  have  given  rise  to  the  jealous  anxiety  with 
which  American  interests  are  guarded  in  Manchuria. 

Sympathy  of  the  United  States  in  the  Present  War. 

So  far  as  newspapers  afford  us  an  accurate  barometer,  the. 
sympathy  of  this  country  i3  decidedly  with  Japan,  and  there  are 
special  reasons  why  Japan  has  our  sympathy.  It  may  be  said  that 
it  is  not  because  we  love  Japan  more,  but  because  we  love  Russia 
less.  There  has  been,  it  is  true,  a  traditional  friendship  between 
the  United  States  and  Russia  since  the  war  of  the  Rebellion;  but 
that  friendship,  until  we  came  to  meet  Russia  in  China,  was  never 
put  to  the  test;  and  since  the  year  1900,  the  march  of  events  has 
been  in  the  direction  of  an  alienation  of  sentiment  between  this 
country  and  Russia. 

In  1900,  the  Great  Powers  made  the  march  upon  Pekin  where 
their  representatives  were  under  the  attack  of  Chinese  mobs  dur- 
ing the  Boxer  rebellion.  During  the  march  of  the  allied  armies,  up 
the  Peiho  river,  we  had  an  opportunity  to  compare  the  Japanese 
and  Russian  soldiers.  If  all  reports  be  true,  the  Russian  soldiers 
were  guilty  of  inhuman  excesses,  and  flagrant  violations  of  every 
principle  of  humanity  and  justice.  Innocent  men  and  woman  were 
ruthlessly  shot  down,  and  outrages  perpetrated  upon  Chinese  wo- 
men by  the  Russian  s  ldiers  that  sent  a  chill  of  horror  throughout 
the  civilized  world.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Japanese  soldiers  were 
orderly,  well  behaved,  and  humane.  They  were  among  the  best 
soldiers  of  that  expedition,  and  much  was  said  in  their  praise. 

When  the  foreign  representatives  at  Pekin  were  rescued,  and 


378  IMPRO  VEMENT  ERA . 

order  was  established  in  the  Chinese  empire,  the  Great  Powers 
agreed  that  China  should  not  be  dismembered,  and  that  the  differ- 
ent nations  of  the  world  should  enjoy  equal  commercial  opportuni- 
ties in  the  celestial  empire.  The  troops  of  all  the  Great  Powers  but 
Russia  were  withdrawn.  Russia  was  building  railroads  in  Man- 
churia, and  developing  commercial  affairs  in  that  country;  so, 
under  one  pretext  or  another,  that  nation  not  only  kept  her  sol- 
diers in  Manchuria  that  were  there  to  quell  the  Boxer  rebellion,  but 
kept  on  shipping  in  more.  This  aroused  the  suspicion  of  the 
Powers,  and  a  formal  treaty  was  finally  decided  upon  by  which 
Russia  was  to  begin  the  withdrawal  of  her  troops  from  the  prov- 
ince of  Manchuria,  on  the  8th  day  of  October,  1903.  This 
written  pledge  has  not  been  kept,  and  the  Powers  realize  that  the 
excuses  which  Russia  offers  for  still  maintaining  her  armies  in 
Manchuria  are  not  substantial,  and  that  what  Russia  really  intends 
to  do  is  to  take  permanent  possession  of  that  valuable  Chinese 
province.  The.  United  States  has  not,  therefore,  felt  that  Russia 
was  dealing  honorably,  and  in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  a 
written  treaty. 

Another  source  of  irritation  to  the  people  of  this  country  was 
the  conviction  aroused,  only  a  short  time  ago,  that  Russia  was 
really  interfering  with  the  treaty  we  are  entering  into  with  China. 
It  may  be  said  that  for  months  past  Russia  was  the  most  influ- 
ential foreign  power  at  Pekin.  We  are  making  a  treaty  with  China 
by  which  we  are  to  enjoy  commercial  privileges  throughout  its  em- 
pire, including  Manchuria.  The  powers  that  were  making  a  treaty 
similar  to  us  had  long  felt  the  disadvantage  to  commerce  that  arose 
out  of  the  old  Chinese  likin  tax:  that  every  province,  and  certain 
large  cities,  charged  a  tax  on  all  foreign  goods  that  came  into 
them,  or  even  passed  through  them.  These  likin  taxes  were  an  un- 
certain factor.  It  was  not  always  known  just  what  these  would 
be,  and  the  merchant,  therefore,  who  would  do  business  in  the  in- 
terior of  China,  never  knew  just  what  taxes  would  be  levied  upon 
his  goods  before  they  reached  their  destination.  In  the  place  of 
this  likin  tax,  China  was  to  put  an  additional  seven  and  a  half  of 
advalorem  duty  upon  the  goods  at  the  port  of  entrance.  This  treaty 
was  agreeable  to  China;  it  was  acceptable  to  the  United  States; 
and  ratified  by  the  Senate,  and  yet  we  awaited  for  a  long  time  the 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  379 

ratification  of  the  treaty  by  China.  The  suspicion  grew  in  this 
country  that  some  third  party,  influential  at  the  court  of  Pekin, 
was  preventing  the  Chinese  government  from  acting;  and  it  was 
not  until  the  suspicion  fell  upon  Russia,  and  considerable  temper 
was  shown  in  this  country,  that  China  ratified  the  treaty  which  it 
was  believed  Russia  was  hindering. 

Japan  is  more  vitally  concerned  in  the  contention  that  Man- 
churia must  remain  a  province  of  the  Chinese  empire  than  we  are; 
and  Japan  has  felt  that  unless  something  be  done,  and  done  at 
once,  Russian  diplomacy  and  aggression  would  not  only  make  Man- 
churia a  Russian  province,  but  would  also  place  Korea  under  Rus- 
sian control. 

Many  of  our  newspapers  have  said  some  very  sharp  things 
about  the  policy  of  Russia,  and  Russian  papers  have  answered  with 
a  considerable  show  of  temper.  Our  Executive  department  has 
been  perfectly  frank  in  telling  Russia  about  some  things  that  Rus- 
sia is  doing  which  this  country  does  not  like;  and  now  our  Secre- 
tary of  State  is  sending  a  note  to  the  Great  Powers  asking  that 
they  join  us  in  a  note  to  Russia  to  the  effect  that  whatever  may 
be  the  military  outcome  of  the  struggle  between  Japan  and  Rus- 
sia, the  Great  Powers  will  permit  neither  to  annex  either  Man- 
churia or  Korea.  The  probabilities  are  that  whether  the  Great 
Powers  join  us  or  not,  we  shall  insist  that  Manchuria  remain  a  prov- 
ince of  the  Chinese  empire. 

We  have'  a  very  large  Jewish  constituency  in  this  country; 
and  the  fact  that  our  government  interceded  in  behalf  of  the  Jews, 
in  their  protest  against  Russian  brutality,  has  done  much  to  alien- 
ate the  former  friendly  feelings  of  Russia  toward  this  country. 
These  are  some  of  the  reasons,  perhaps  the  most  important  ones, 
why  our  sympathies  are  with  Japan. 

New  York  and  Religion. 

For  years,  New  York  has  been  the  center  of  the  commercial 
life  of  the  United  States.  But  this  wonderful  city  offers  to  this 
country  problems  in  religion  that  are  no  less  interesting  than  those 
of  her  commerce.  Religious  controversy  and  religious  power  are 
centering  more  and  more  in  our  great  commercial  metropolis.  The 
following  list  of  church  membership  affords  a  comparison  of 


380  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

relative  numerical  strength  of  the  great  religious  denominations  of 
that  city: 

Catholics,  enrolled,  984,800;  Catholics,  out  of  church,  265,200; 
Protestants,  enrolled,  1,152,650;  out  of  church,  741,080;  Jews, 
675,000. 

Among  the  Protestant  churches,  a  comparison  will  show  a 
surprising  preponderance  in  the  Episcopal  church,  as  that  church 
leads  the  list  with  88,263.  The  large  membership  of  the  Luther- 
an church,  namely  45,745,  can  be  largely  accounted  for  by  the 
presence  of  so  many  Germans  of  that  denomination  in  New  York. 
The  following  list  shows  the  relative  membership  of  the  various 
Protestant   denominations: 

Protestant  Episcopal,  88,263;  Methodists,  all  bodies,  48,133; 
Lutheran,  45,745;  Presbyterian,  all  bodies,45,526;  Baptist,  all 
bodies,  37,627;  Reformed  Dutch,  23,059;  Congregational,  18,653; 
all  others,  24,784. 

It  is  very  evident  that  such  a  large  church  membership  is  ac- 
companied by  great  wealth.  The  property  in  New  York  exempt 
from  taxation  exceeds  in  value  $200,000,000.  It  is  easily  seen 
how  New  York  is  rapidly  gaining  in  religious  ascendency  in  the 
United  States.  Wealth  and  membership  are  two  powerful  factors 
in  religious  influence;  so  that  New  York  is  as  easily  the  metropolis 
of  the  different  religious  denominations  as  it  is  in  the  commerce  of 
the  United  States.  The  study,  therefore,  of  the  religious  problem 
of  that  great  city  is  attracting  the  attention  of  those  who  are 
following  the  religious  forces  in  the  history  of  our  country. 

The  Panama  Canal. 

For  the  past  month,  the  ratification  of  our  treaty  with 
Panama  has  been  held  up  in  the  Senate  by  its  opponents.  Mr. 
Gorman,  the  leader  of  the  minority,  undertook  to  solidify  the 
Democrats  in  the  Senate  in  opposition  to  the  treaty.  Its  ratifica- 
tion required  the  vote  of  two-thirds,  sixty  senators.  The  Repub- 
licans had  but  fifty-four.  The  legislatures  of  Mississippi,  Louis- 
iana, and  Florida  instructed  their  senators  to  vote  for  the  treaty. 
These  Gulf  states  are  ardently  in  favor  of  it,  so  it  was  early  seen 
how  impossible  it  would  be  for  the  Democrats  in  the  Senate  to 
successfully  unite  in  opposition  to  the  treaty.     Other  Southern 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  381 

states,  by  their  commercial  clubs  and  governors,  were  quite  pro- 
nounced in  favor  of  the  canal,  and  the  adoption  of  the  treaty  with 
Panama.  This  division  in  the  Democratic  party  gave  the  fullest 
assurance  of  its  ratification.  Its  opponents,  however,  in  their 
surrender,  are  endeavoring  to  make  their  defeat  as  agreeable  as 
possible  by  the  introduction  of  some  slight,  and  not  very  material, 
amendments.  The  amendments  now  can  mean  nothing  more  than 
delay,  so  that  the  country  is  beginning  to  look  upon  the  early 
construction  of  this  great  waterway  as  a  foregone  conclusion. 

Will  Congress  do  it? 

A  recent  movement  has  been  set  on  foot  by  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  to  secure  a  pension  for  every  man  who  has  served  his 
country  in  the  Civil  War.  This  movement  is  said  to  have  the 
indorsement  of  President  Roosevelt  and  a  number  of  leading 
Republicans.  It  is  not  possible  to  say  now  just  what  additional 
expense  such  a  pension  law  would  entail  upon  the  federal  govern- 
ment. Various  estimates  have  been  given  out;  however,  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  it  might  increase  our  expenditures  at  the  rate  of 
$60,000,000  a  year.  At  present  our  annual  pensions  amount  to 
$140,000,000  in  round  numbers;  this  would  make  the  total  for 
pensions  $200,000,000  per  year. 

The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  is  a  numerous  and  powerful 
organization  whose  demands  cannot  easily  be  brushed  aside. 
Should  the  party  in  power  thus  enlarge  its  pension  list,  its  oppo- 
nents will  not  be  slow  to  make  the  accusation  that  the  additional 
$60,000,000  was  simply  a  stupendous  campaign  fund,  so  that  pen- 
sion extravagance  may  be  an  additional  issue  in  the  coming 
campaign.  At  present  the  demand  for  this  enlarged  pension  is 
wholly  within  the  realms  of  speculation,  and  people  are  asking 
themselves,  Will  Congress  do  it?  It  is  hardly  likely  that  the  party 
in  power  will  care  to  increase  its  annual  burdens  so  enormously  at 
the  opening  of  a  presidential  campaign. 


EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


A  SENSELESS  CAMPAIGN- 


Just  now  there  seems  to  be  a  general,  united  uprising  of  the 
religious  denominations  against  the  Latter-day  Saints.  The  excuse 
for  the  turmoil  is  the  election  of  Hon.  Reed  Smoot  to  the  Senate 
of  the  United  States, — not  by  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  but  by  the  Legislature  and  people  of  the  sovereign 
state  of  Utah.  Every  woman's  organization  in  the  country  is  up 
in  arms;  churches  and  religious  societies  are  all  vigorously  united 
in  a  crusade  against  the  Church  of  Christ.  Petitions  have  come 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  overwhelm  the  Senate,  asking  for 
the  expulsion  of  Senator  Smoot  from  that  body.  The  whole  cam- 
paign is  generaled  by  a  coterie  of  ministers.  Back  of  the  agi- 
tators, hiding  behind  them,  stand  these  "shepherds  of  the  flocks," 
dabbling  in  dirty  politics  in  the  name  of  purity,  with  all  their  might 
and  strength. 

Is  the  campaign  justified?  The  charges  against  Mr.  Smoot  are 
that  he  is  a  polygamist,  and  especially  that  he  is  an  active  officer  in 
the  church  to  which  he  belongs,  and  to  which  it  is  alleged  he  acknowl- 
edges allegiance  superior  to  that  which  he  owes  to  the  United  States 
government.  The  first  charge  is  generally  conceded  to  be  false, 
even  by  the  misled  petitioners  and  their  agitating  ministerial 
generals.  The  only  charge,  then,  is  that  he  is  a  "Mormon,"  and, 
being  so,  the  question  is,  whether  he  is  prohibited  from  holding 
office  under  the  government;  whether  belief  in  his  religion  is 
irreconcilable  with  American  citizenship;  whether  he  owes  his 
church  an  allegiance  which  is  in  conflict  with  his  allegiance  to  the 
government  of  our  country. 


EDITORS  TABLE.  333 

Happily  in  this  country  there  is  religious  freedom,  and  it  is 
well  that  it  should  be  so,  otherwise  toleration  would  die;  hence, 
that  Senator  Smoot  is  a  Latter-day  Saint  is  no  disqualification. 
His  religious  belief  is  no  more  the  business  of  the  Senate  or  the 
American  people,  or  the  ministers  and  their  adherents,  than  is  the 
religious  belief  of  Senators  Dubois,  McComas,  Depew,   or  Hoar. 

Personally,  he  is  a  good,  conscientious,  able,  temperate  man, 
quite  the  peer  of  the  petitioners  and  their  generals  in  moral 
purity  and  social  standing:  hence  this  does  not  stand  in  his  way.  His 
religion  and  personality,  under  these  conditions,  cannot  act  as  a 
bar.  He  is  a  law-abiding  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the 
state  in  which  he  was  elected — truthful,  moral,  upright,  with  no 
tarnish  on  his  name.  He  was  elected  in  the  proper  way  to  his 
honored  position,  and  there  was  not  the  least  shadow  of  doubt  or 
suspicion  cast  on  the  method  of  his  election.  There  was  no  money 
or  other  undue  influence  used,  and  no  person  can  truthfully  accuse 
him  or  the  legislature  which  elected  him,  of  any  fraud  or  irregu- 
larity. His  was  among  the  cleanest  elections,  if  not  the  cleanest  elec- 
tion, in  the  whole  country,  held  to  elect  men  to  the  exalted  office 
of  Senator  of  the  United  States.  His  religion  teaches  loyalty  to 
God,  to  government,  and  all  those  virtues  which  go  to  make  up 
the  personality  of  the  senator,  a  belief  in  which  is  surely  not 
irreconcilable  with  true  American  citizenship. 

All  churches  claim  to  be  divinely  appointed,  and  place  God 
above  country,  and  any  man  who  renders  true  homage  to  God, 
cannot  break  the  law,  for  he  lives  above  it.  No  man  can  be  a  good 
Latter-day  Saint  and  not  be  true  to  the  best  interests  and  general 
welfare  of  his  country.  After  all  these  years,  it  is  folly  to  say 
that  the  Church  is  antagonistic  to  the  national  government. 
The  part  which  our  people  took  in  the  Mexican  and  Spanish- 
American  wars  should  be  enough  to  eternally  brand  such  statement 
false.  The  allegiance  claimed  from  its  members  by  the  Church 
does  not  prevent  a  member  from  being  a  loyal  citizen  of  the  na- 
tion. It  rather  aids  him;  fidelity  to  the  Church  enables  a  man 
better  to  entertain  patriotic  allegiance  to  his  nation  and  country. 
There  is  nothing  required  of  a  Latter-day  Saint  that  can  in  any 
way  be  construed  to  militate  against  loyalty  to  the  nation,  and 
for  that  reason  Senator  Smoot  is  under  no  obligations  to  the  Church 


384  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

that  can  come  in  conflict  with  his  fealty  to  country.     It  is  plain 
that  the  campaign  of  the  ministers  is  unjustified. 

Why,  then,  do  they  carry  it  on?  It  is  to  fight  the  Church  to 
which  Senator  Smoot  belongs,  over  his  head.  The  fact  that  he 
holds  the  priesthood  is  gall  and  wormwood  to  them.  They  fight 
him  to  get  an  opportunity  to  oppose  the  .work  of  the  Lord.  And  they 
antagonize  the  Saints  because  they  believe  in  revelation,  and  choose 
to  worship  God  in  the  way  that  Christ  commanded  when  he  estab- 
lished the  Church  upon  the  earth;  and  for  the  further  reason  that 
the  Saints  refuse  to  acknowledge  these  priests  as  spiritual  leaders. 
For  these  reasons  they  combine  together  and  seek  to  place  the 
Latter-day  Saints  under  a  political  ban.  They  are  unjustified.  The 
Church  is  not  in  politics.  It  did  not  elect  Senator  Smoot.  Its 
mission  is  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ;  to  help  the  needy; 
to  do  good  to  all  men — not  to  control  politics.  The  Latter- 
day  Saints  entertain  individual  views  as  to  politics,  to  which 
they  have  a  right;  and  are  entitled  to  them  as  much  as  the  peti- 
tioners are  to  theirs.  The  Saints  do  not  vote  as  one  party,  and  do 
not  even  combine  politically  to  fight  their  enemies, — a  course  which 
the  ministers  and  their  congregations  have  not  only  recently  pur- 
sued in  Utah,  but  which  they  are  now  pursuing  in  seeking  to  stir 
up  political  frenzy  in  Congress  and  the  nation,  by  accusing  the 
Saints  of  disloyalty,  treachery,  and  all  manner  of  unworthiness, 
when  the  facts  are  that  their  history  proves  them  to  have  been 
loyal,  honest  and  worthy,  in  every  test  to  which  they  have  been 
subjected. 

Furthermore,  it  is  a  ridiculous  farce  to  ask  Congress  to  in- 
vestigate and  report  upon  the  moral  condition  of  a  church,  in  order 
to  determine  whether  a  United  States  Senator,  against  whom  no 
wrong  can  be  found,  and  who  was  regularly  elected,  is  entitled  to 
his  seat  in  the  Senate.  If  the  laws  are  broken  by  individuals  of 
the  Church,  such  individuals  are  amenable  to  the  laws;  but  what 
bearing  their  shortcomings  may  have  upon  the  seating  of  a  senator 
from  the  state  in  which  they  live,  only  the  enemies  of  the  Church 
appear  to  comprehend.  Justice  and  common  sense  can  see  no 
related  connection. 

It  is  a  dangerous  precedent  which  the  agitators  are  seeking 
to  establish.     If  the  Latter-day  Saints  are  proscribed  today,  what 


EDITOR'S  TABLE.  385 

sect  will  next  be  assailed  by  the  spirit  of  proscription?  If  a  com- 
bination of  church  people  shall  succeed  this  year  in  placing  a  ban 
upon  Senator  Smoot  because  he  is  a  Latter-day  Saint,  what  evi- 
dence have  we  that  this  religious  combination  shall  not  next  year 
place  a  similar  ban  upon  an  adherent  of  some  other  unpopular 
denomination?  To  what  will  the  efforts  of  this  religious  league,  in 
the  nation,  lead?    What  will  be  the  result?    What  the  end? 

One  thing  is  certain :  this  determination  of  its  enemies  to 
make  war  on  the  Church,  while  it  may  result  in  temporary  disad- 
vantage, annoyance,  petty  persecution,  and  bitter  hatred,  will  in  the 
end,  when  the  truth  concerning  us  shall  be  laid  bare,  as  it  will- be 
by  investigation  and  time,  result  in  growth,  benefit  and  blessing  to 
the  work  of  .God.  In  this  truth,  the  missionaries  abroad,  the 
young  people  at  home,  and  the  members  of  the  Church  in  general, 
may  find  consoling  comfort. 

Joseph  F.  Smith. 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS. 


Concerning  the  Creation. 

A  correspondent  writing  from  Menan  speaks  of  the  order  of 
creation,  and  objects  to  a  statement  in  the  Junior  Manual  on  this 
point.  It  must  be  stated  that  the  text  of  the  manual  is  very 
short,  and  teachers  are  expected  to  add  facts  not  always  found  in 
the  text,  but  to  be  obtained  from  other  authorized  books  upon  the 
subject.  The  correspondent  is  undoubtedly  correct  in  his  state- 
ment, and  the  text  of  the  manual  should  be  interpreted  to  conform 
with  the  views  held  by  the  Prophet  Joseph,  in  the  Pearl  of  Great 
Price.     Here  is  the  letter: 

"I  was  looking  over  the  manual  for  the  junior  class  of  the 
li.  I.  A.  this  evening,  and  noticed  in  the  first  paragraph  this  state- 
ment: 'Last  of  all  came  beasts,  insects,  and  animal  life  generally, 
with  man  to  crown  the  whole  work  of  creation.'  The  order  of 
creation  here  put  forth  is  the  order  given  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis,  and  if  we  were  to  stop  here,  this  would  seem  to  be 
quite  correct.  But  when  we  take  up  the  second  chapter,  beginning 


USQ  IMPROVEMEM  ERA. 

at  the  4th  verse,  the  order  of  creation  is  reversed,  and  man  is 
made  the  first  of  animated  beings: 

"  'These  are  the  generations  of  the  heavens  and  of  the  earth 
when  they  were  created,  in  the  day  that  the  Lord  God  made  the 
earth  and  the  heavens,  and  every  plant  of  the  field  before  it  was  in 
the  earth,  and  every  herb  of  the  field  before  it  grew;  *  *  *  and 
there  was  not  a  man  to  till  the  ground.' 

"Now,  as  I  understand  the  first  chapter,  it  relates  the  order  of 
the  spiritual  creation  of  all  things,  and  the  second  chapter  that  of 
the  temporal,  or  earthly  creation.  If  we  take  this  view  of  this 
Bible  narrative,  then  it  is  in  accord  with  what  the  Lord  has 
revealed  in  our  days,  as  follows: 

"  'And  now,  behold,  I  say  unto  you  that  these  are  the  generations  of  the 
heaven  and  of  the  earth,  when  they  were  created,  in  the  day  that  I  the 
Lord  God  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  and  every  plant  of  the  field 
before  it  was  in  the  earth,  and  every  herb  of  the  field  before  it  grew. 
For  I  the  Lord  God,  created  all  things  of  which  I  have  spoken,  spiritually 
before  they  were  naturally  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  For  I  the  Lord 
God,  had  not  caused  it  to  rain  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  I  the 
Lord  God,  had  created  all  the  children  of  men;  and  not  yet  a  man  to  till  the 
ground;  for  in  heaven  created  I  them;  and  there  was  not  yet  flesh  upon 
the  earth;  neither  in  the  water,  neither  in  the  air;  but  I,  the  Lord  God, 
spake,  and  there  went  up  a  mist  from  the  earth,  and  watered  the  whole 
face  of  the  ground.  And  I,  the  Lord  God,  formed  man  from  the  dust  of 
the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life;  and  man 
became  a  living  soul,  the  first  flesh  upon  the  earth;  the  first  man  also; 
nevertheless  all  things  were  before  created;  but  spiritually  were  they 
created  and  made  according  to  my  word.' — Pearl  of  Great  Price,  pp.  7-8." 

The  Kinderhook  Plates. 

Certain  bell-shaped  plates  are  said  to  have  been  discovered  in  a 
mound,  in  the  vicinity  of  Kinderhook,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  by  Robert 
Wiley,  in  1843,  and  taken  to  Joseph  Smith.  Now,  I  wish  to  ask: 
1.  Were  these  plates  translated  by  Joseph  Smith?  2.  If  so,  what  were 
their  contents?  3.  Where  are  they?  4.  Are  they  considered  of  any 
value  in  confirming  the  Book  of  Mormon?  5.  Is  there  anything  about 
them  in  any  of  the  Church  works? 

1  and  2.  Near  Kinderhook,  in  Pike  county,  Illinois— between 
fifty  and  sixty  miles  south  and  east  of  Nauvoo— on  April  23,  1843,  a 


EDITOR'S  TABLE.  387 

Mr.  Robert  Wiley,  while  excavating  a  large  mound,  took  from  said 
mound  six  brass  plates  of  bell  shape,  fastened  by  a  ring  passing 
through  the  small  end,  and  fastened  with  two  clasps,  and  covered 
with  ancient  characters.  Human  bones  together  with  charcoal 
and  ashes  were  found  in  the  mound,  in  connection  with  the  plates 
which  evidently  had  been  buried  with  the  person  whose  bones  were 
discovered.  The  plates  were  submitted  to  the  Prophet,  and  speak- 
ing of  them  in  his  journal,  under  date  of  May  1,  1843,  he  says: 
"I  have  translated  a  portion  of  them,  and  find  they  contain  the 
history  of  the  person  with  whom  they  were  found.  He  was  a 
descendant  of  Ham,  through  the  loins  of  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt, 
and  that  he  received  his  kingdom  from  the  Ruler  of  heaven  and 
earth." 

3.  The  plates  were  later  placed  in  a  museum  in  St.  Louis, 
known  as  McDowell's,  which  was  afterwards  destroyed  by  fire,  and 
the  plates  were  lost. 

4.  The  event  would  go  very  far  towards  confirming  the  idea 
that  in  very  ancient  times,  there  was  intercourse  between  the 
eastern  and  western  hemispheres;  and  the  statement  of  the 
prophet  would  mean  that  the  remains  were  Egyptian.  The  fair 
implication,  also,  from  the  prophet's  words  is  that  this  descendant 
of  the  Pharaohs  possessed  a  kingdom  in  the  new  world;  and  this 
circumstance  may  account  for  the  evidence  of  a  dash  of  Egyptian 
civilization  in  our  American  antiquities. 

5.  The  whole  account  of  the  finding  of  the  plates,  together 
with  the  testimony  of  eight  witnesses,  besides  Mr.  Wiley,  who  were 
acquainted  with  the  finding  of  the  relics,  as  also  the  statement 
from  the  prophet's  history,  is  found  in  the  Millennial  Star,  vol. 
21:  pp.  40-44. 

The  Kingdom  of  God. 

Is  the  Kingdom  of  God,  referred  to  in  "Articles  of  Faith,"  pp. 
376-7,  set  up  at  the  present  time? 

The  writer  is  referred  to  an  article  in  No.  4,  Vol.  7,  Improve- 
ment Era,  entitled,   "The  Church  and  Kingdom  of  God,"  by  the 
First  Presidency. 
As  to  Copyrights. 

1.  How   long  does   a  book  copyright  last?    2   Is  it  assignable? 


388  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

3.     May   any   person  print  the  book  at  the  expiration  of  the   copy- 
right? 

1.  A  copyright  may  be  secured  for  28  years.  It  may  then  be 
renewed  for  a  period  of  14  years.  2.  The  owner  of  the  copyright 
may  assign  it,  and  in  case  of  his  death,  his  heirs  are  entitled  to  his 
rights.  3.  At  the  close  of  42  years,  or  28  years,  in  case  renewal 
is  not  made,  any  person  may  publish  the  work. 


NOTES. 


To  live  long  it  is  necessary  to  live  slowly. — Cicero. 

The  gods  have  given  us  a  long  life,  but  we  have  made  it  short. — 
Seneca. 

Old  age  seizes  upon  an  ill-spent  youth  like  fire  upon  a  rotten  house. 
— South. 

A  coward  can't  stand  defeat.  It  is  only  a  brave  man  or  woman  who 
can  turn  a  defeat  into  a  triumph. 

Do  but  gain  a  boy's  trust;  convince  him  by  your  behavior  that  you 
have  his  happiness  at  heart;  let  him  discover  that  you  are  the  wiser  of 
the  two;  let  him  experience  the  benefit  of  following  your  advice  and  the 
evils  that  arise  from  disregarding  it,  and  fear  not  that  you  will  readily 
enough  guide  him. — Spencer. 

People  are  beginning  to  see  the  first  requisite  in  life  is  to  be  a  good 
animal.  The  best  brain  is  found  of  little  service  if  there  be  not  enough 
vital  energy  to  work  it,  and  hence  to  obtain  the  one  by  sacrificing  the 
source  of  the  other  is  now  considered  a  folly — a  folly  which  the  eventual 
failure  of  juvenile  prodigies  constantly  illustrates.  Thus  we  are  discover- 
ing the  wisdom  of  the  saying  that  one  secret  in  education  is  "to  know 
how  wisely  to  lose  time." — Spencer. 

Nothing  else  is  worth  so  much  to  you  as  your  unqualified  endorse- 
ment of  yourself.  The  approval  of  the  "still,  small  voice"  within  you, 
which  says  to  every  noble  act,  "That  is  right,"  and  to  every  ignoble  one, 
"That  is  wrong,"  is  worth  more  to  you  than  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth.  It  matters  little  what  others  may  think  about  you,  or  what  the 
world  may  say;  it  makes  no  difference  whether  the  press  or  the  public 
praises  or  blames;  it  is  by  your  own  honest  judgment  of  yourself  that 
you  must  stand  or  fall. — Success. 


OUR  WORK. 


PRELIMINARY  PROGRAMS. 

This  subject  is  one  of  considerable  importance,  and  one  that  is  some- 
what new  to  the  present  generation  of  mutual  improvement  workers, 
with  the  exception  of  the  trial  of  it  made  this  year  and  during  the  season 
of  1902-3.  It  is  first  necessary  to  have  brought  before  us  the  object  of 
the  organization  of  the  Mutual  Improvement  Association.  Roughly 
speaking,  there  were  three  purposes  to  be  accomplished  by  this  organ- 
ization. One  of  these  is  the  development  of  religious  faith,  knowledge 
and  action.  The  second  is  the  securing  of  general  culture  outside  of 
theological  work.  The  third  is  the  development  of  proper  social  inter- 
course and  recreation. 

The  first  of  these  purposes  has  of  late  years  been  given  very  great 
prominence,  indeed  almost  to  the  exclusion,  one  may  say,  of  the  other 
two.  We  have  been  giving  our  attention  almost  exclusively  to  the  de- 
velopment of  religious  faith,  knowledge  and  action.  Now,  this  field  is 
not  the  only  field,  by  any  means,  that  is  covered  by  our  association  work. 
It  is  expected  that  as  much  as  possible  shall  be  done  along  the  line  of 
general  culture,  and  that  we  shall  study  other  than  theological  subjects. 
It  is  the  purpose  to  enter  upon  this  other  part  of  our  field  by  means  of 
these  preliminary  programs. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  this  association,  debating  and 
literary  societies  were  springing  up  all  over  the  Church.  The  young 
people  were  running  wild  almost  in  the  direction  of  these  things.  They 
were  getting  almost  beyond  restraint  in  some  of  those  particulars,  and 
it  was  partly  for  the  purpose  of  checking  this  tendency  toward  going 
outside  of  the  Church  for  these  things  that  the  Mutual  Improvement 
organizations  were  instituted.  Although  the  writer  was  but  a  small  boy 
at  the  time  these  things  were  brought  into  existence,  he  can  remember 
very  distinctly  the  attempt  that  was  then  made  to  make  this  general 


390  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

culture  a  very  prominent  feature;  and  we  all  remember,  no  doubt,  that 
debating,  under  certain  circumstances,  was  a  part  of  the  work.  Essay 
writing  was  another  part,  and  there  were  association  papers,  contribu- 
tions to  which  were  furnished  by  the  young  men.  There  were  other  lit- 
erary selections,  as  well  as  musical  selections — all  in  addition  to  the 
work  that  was  done  along  theological  lines.  We  remember,  also,  that 
when  the  first  manual  was  published,  something  like  thirteen  years  ago, 
that  features  other  than  theological  work  were  introduced  in  it.  It  in- 
cluded scientific,  historical  and  literary  work,  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
to  the  young  men  this  broad  culture.  But  of  late  years,  we  have  confined 
ourselves — and  I  think  wisely,  because  of  the  peculiar  circumstances  that 
confronted  us — almost  entirely  to  the  theological  part;  and  with  what 
success,  the  revivifying  of  these  associations  bears  testimony.  We  know 
that  it  has  been  a  most  successful  movement  that  has  been  instituted 
and  carried  through  during  the  last  few  years. 

But  now  we  desire  to  depart  from  this  exclusive  work,  and  make 
our  work  a  little  more  general,  and  begin  again  to  occupy  the  field  we 
practically  abandoned  a  few  years  ago,  viz.,  the  field  of  general  culture 
and  social  enjoyment.  The  general  culture  feature,  and  the  religious 
feature,  should  be  attended  to  in  our  weekly  meetings.  It  is  upon  the 
subject  of  these  programs,  which  are  beginning  to  occupy  this  other 
field,  that  I  desire  to  say  a  word.  It  is  advisable  and  very  necessary  that 
some  work  be  done  along  the  line  of  general  culture. 

These  preliminary  programs  should  consist,  as  I  understand  the  in- 
tention of  the  Manual  committee,  of  as  much  work  as  we  can  secure 
within  the  brief  time  allotted  along  these  general  lines.  Literary  work, 
for  example;  literary  reading  and  working  are  both  neglected  very 
largely  by  the  mass  of  our  young  people.  There  are  not  many  of  our 
young  people  that  can  read  properly;  that  can  take  the  great  authors 
and  fully  appreciate  their  works;  that  can  delve  into  the  productions  of 
the  brightest  minds  in  the  world's  literature,  and  understand  and  appre- 
ciate those  productions  to  the  fullest  extent.  The  reason  for  this  is  that 
part  of  the  education  of  the  mass  of  the  young  people  has  not  been 
developed  as  highly  as  we  hope  to  see  it  developed  in  the  future.  We 
have  devoted  our  time  too  exclusively  to  our  theological  work.  We  have 
been  placed,  it  appears,  under  the  necessity  of  doing  this.  We  have 
looked  upon  ourselves  as  having  a  special  mission,  and  we  have  a  special 
mission,  to  reform  the  religious  world  and  to  give  the  truth  to  the  world 
in  place  of  the  error  that  they  have.  And  while  we  have  been  doing  this, 
I  believe  we  have  neglected,  to  a  certain  extent,  our  reading.  We  are 
not  so  familiar  with  the  leading  authors  of  English  and  American  litera- 


OUR  WORK.  391 

ture,  and  the  translations  from  the  German  and  French,  as  we  should  he. 
It  is  the  intention,  therefore,  of  these  preliminary  programs  to  intro- 
duce gradually  the  works  of  these  authors,  in  a  fragmentary  way,  it  is 
true;  but  a  fragmentary  introduction  to  the  work  will  lead  the  mind 
toward  the  other  writings  which  that  author  has  produced.  If  we  place 
before  you  a  choice  selection  from  some  of  Irving's  works,  you  will  be- 
come interested  in  Irving,  and  will  want  to  find  more  of  his  writings.  So 
with  other  American  and  English  authors.  By  this  introduction  you  will 
become  interested  in  their  work,  and  you  will  be  prone  to  read  further 
outside  of  the  association  meetings.  Wot  only  so,  but  you  will  be  filled, 
to  a  certain  extent,  with  literary  zeal  yourselves,  and  those  of  you  who 
have  some  talent  in  the  direction  of  writing  will  be  led  to  write,  basing 
your  style  -very  largely  upon  the  style  of  those  authors  whom  you  read. 
By  this  reading  and  writing  you  will  be  able  to  secure  a  culture  which  is 
very  necessary  and  profitable,  and  very  enjoyable  indeed.  Essay  writing 
is  introduced,  therefore,  for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  this  skill  in  liter- 
ary work. 

Then  in  music.  There  may  be  a  scarcity  of  musical  talent  in  some 
associations;  but  there  is  always  some  musical  talent  to  be  found  there, 
and  that  can  be  cultivated;  and  not  only  will  those  who  have  that  talent 
thus  bring  it  to  the  front  and  make  it  a  source  of  profit  and  enjoyment, 
but  others  will  be  led  to  cultivate  their  talent.  The  singing  of  solos, 
duets,  trios,  quartets,  etc,  will  be  encouraged.  The  organization  of  a  glee 
club,  or  quartet,  or  some  other  musical  body  of  that  kind,  will  be  en- 
couraged. In  some  of  the  larger  communities,  perhaps,  an  orchestra  can 
be  made  up  of  some  of  the  young  men.  In  some  wards  we  find  brass 
bands;  let  them  be  encouraged  by  our  associations.  In  this  way  we  will 
accomplish  two  objects:  we  will  increase  the  musical  talent,  and  we  will 
give  to  the  people  who  have  not  that  talent  the  enjoyment  and  profit 
that  naturally  come  from  listening  to  good  music. 

In  other  directions,  also,  our  preliminary  programs  will  serve  a  good 
purpose;  but  I  emphasize  these  to  show  you  the  general  tendency,  and 
the  other  things  can  be  thought  of.  You  will  be  led  into  scientific  re- 
search, into  historical  research,  into  an  understanding  of  current  histor- 
ical events,  and  into  all  those  fields  of  research  which  will  give  to  you  a 
culture  and  a  wider  and  broader  knowledge  than  you  have  now.  That  is 
one  purpose  of  these  preliminary  programs.  Another  purpose  is,  to  bring 
into  the  associations  those  young  men  who  perhaps  will  not  be  interested 
in  theological  work  alone.  Young  men  sometimes  will  come  into  our 
associations  to  listen  to  a  varied  program  who  will  not  come  to  listen  to 
one  subject  alone.  They  can  thus  be  taken  off  the  devil's  ground,  as  one 


392  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

has  expressed  it,  and  brought  upon  the  Lord's  ground,  and  there  we  can 
begin  to  exercise  our  influence  upon  them. — Willard  Done. 


TO  THE  READER. 


We  thank  the  many  readers  of  the  Era  who  forwarded  replies 
to  our  request  to  name  the  article  in  the  February  number  that  inter- 
ested them  most.  The  compliments  received  were  very  gratifying,  and 
the  suggestions  valuable.  To  those  of  our  friends  who  failed  to  respond, 
we  extend  the  invitation  for  this  number.  In  replying,  be  sure  to  state 
your  age.  We  have  some  choice  matter  for  future  issues;  among  it, 
"Kentucky  Bell,"  and  "The  Adventures  of  a  Pioneer." 

One  feature  in  the  replies  we  noticed  with  regret.  It  was  this, 
that  they  all  came  from  persons  over  20  years  of  age.  Is  it  possible 
we  have  nothing  in  the  Era  to  interest  the  young  people  between  15 
and  20? 

To  test  this  we  specially  invite  the  young  men  between  those  ages 
to  send  us  a  card  answering  this  question: 

WHAT  INTERESTS  YOU  IN  THE  MARCH   ERA? 

In  replying  be  sure  to  state  your  age. 

Another  Point:  We  will  send  free,  any  book,  to  be  selected  by 
himself,  illustrating  his  choice  of  reading,  to  the  young  man  between 
the  ages  of  15  and  20  years  who  will  give  us  the  best  suggestion  on  what 
style  of  literature  interests  him  most,  and  that  will,  at  the  same  time, 
be  appropriate  for  the  Era.     Please  answer  this  question: 

WHAT  DO  YOU   READ? 

The  book  " "  illustrates  my  choice. 

Address:    Editors  Era,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  216  Templeton  Bdg. 


REVIEWS. 


Those  associations  which  have  completed  the  manual,  or  will  complete 
it  before  the  end  of  the  season,  are  advised  to  spend  the  remaining  time 
in  review.  This  may  be  done  either  by  general  lectures,  or  by  class 
exercises. 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH. 


Local.— January,  1904. 

Southern  States  Mission. — Number  six  of  volume  one,  of  the 
Elder's  Journal,  a  monthly  publication  of  the  Southern  States  Mission 
printed  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  epitomizes  the  work  of  the  two  hundred  elders 
in  that  field  for  the  year  1903.  In  the  ten  states  covered  by  the  mission, 
there  are  eleven  conferences  as  follows:  Alabama,  Florida,  Georgia, 
Kentucky,  Middle  Tennessee,  East  Tennessee,  North  Carolina,  Ohio,  South 
Carolina,  and  Virginia: 

"Reports  from  the  Conference  Presidents  show  that,  with  the  834 
members  added  to  the  Church  during  the  year,  we  now  number  8,729 
souls.  There  have  been  9,746  meetings  held,  part  of  which  have  been 
out  of  doors,  but  a  large  majority  in  schoolhouses  and  private  residences. 
According  to  our  reckoning,  25,287  families  have  been  visited  in  tract- 
ing,  and  23,433  more  on  special  invitation  of  the  head.  Conversations 
on  the  gospel  have  been  recorded  to  the  number  of  123,808,  books  dis- 
tributed 23,075,  and  tracts,  153,493." 

Utah  Sugar.— The  thirteenth  season  of  the  Lehi  sugar  factory 
closed  the  day  before  last  Christmas,  the  product  of  the  central  plant  at 
Lehi,  and  the  auxiliary  plants  at  Springville,  Provo  and  Bingham  Junc- 
tion, for  the  season  being  within  500  pounds,  23,000,000  pounds,  made 
from  96,910  tons  of  beets,  the  largest  tonnage  in  the  factory's  history. 
The  run  lasted  about  100  days,  with  an  average  of  nearly  1,000  tons  per 
day,  the  highest  record  being  1,278  tons  of  beets  sliced  and  3,275  bags  of 
sugar  sacked.  The  beets  were  grown  by  1,695  farmers  in  Salt  Lake,  Utah, 
Wasatch,  Sanpete,  Sevier  and  Juab  counties,  on  8,168  acres  of  land,  which 
would  bring  the  average  yield  up  to  about  twelve  tons  per  acre,  though 
many  fields  yielded  over  twenty  tons  per  acre.  About  $410,000  was  paid 
to  the  farmers  for  beets,  the  price  being  $-1.75  per  ton  for  those  deliv- 
ered in  the  sheds  at  the  cutting  stations,  this  price  being  reduced  where 
a  railroad  haul  was  necessary. 

Died. — In  Kanarra,  Thursday,  December  31,  1903,  John  Steele,  a 


394  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

pioneer  of  Utah  and  a  member  of  the  Mormon  Battalion,  born  near  Bel- 
fast, Ireland,  March  21,  1821,  ordained  a  priest  Nov.  5,  1843,  emigrated 
to  Nauvoo,  July,  1845.  He  made  the  first  last  and  pair  of  shoes  in  the 
Salt  Lake  Valley,  and  was  the  father  of  the  first  white  child  born  in  Utah, 
so  it  is  claimed.  On  Jan.  31,  1851,  he  moved  to  Parowan,  was  ordained  a 
high  priest  on  May  12, 1852,  and  set  apart  as  first  counselor  to  President 
John  L.  Smith  of  the  Parowan  Stake. — In  Nephi  ward,  Maricopa  Stake, 
Arizona,  Saturday,  January  2,  1904,  Bishop  Samuel  Openshaw,  born  Lan- 
cashire, England,  November  1,  1833. — In  Manti,  January  5,  Mrs.  Will- 
iam Luke,  who  crossed  the  plains  with  a  hand  cart  company  in  1856. — 
In  Richmond,  Cache  Co.,  Friday,  January  2,  Cornelius  Traveller,  one  of 
the  settlement'0  oldest  and  most  respected  citizens. — On  Friday,  8+h,  in 
Brigham  City,  Stephen  Wight,  a  faithful  and  respected  member  of  the 
Church.— In  St.  George,  9th,  John  M.  Lytle,  born  Feb.  25,  1829.  He  was 
a  veteran  of  the  Walker  Indian  War. — In  Castle  Dale,  Tuesday,  January 
12,  Hen  in  g  Olsen,  for  many  years  the  bishop  of  that  place. — In  Spring- 
ville,  12th,  Mary  Lyman  Johnson,  a  pioneer  of  the  place. — On  the  13th, 
Eliza  Louisa  Cox  who  crossed  the  plains  in  Edmond  Ellsworth's  hand- 
cart company,  in  1856. — In  Payson,  Thursday,  14th,  Mrs.  B.  G.  S.  Simon, 
a  veteran  of  Kirtland  and  Nauvoo,  born  December  1,  1824,  in  New  York, 
and  baptized  by  Truman  Waite,  October  24,  1834. — In  Salt  Lake  City, 
Sunday,  17th,  Andrew  Allen,  counselor  in  the  bishopric  of  Rockland. 
Idaho,  after  an  operation  for  appendicitis. — In  Wanship,  Summit  Co., 
January  29,  Rachel  Young  Frazier,  born  Ohio,  March  23,  1836,  came  to 
Utah  in  1848.  Her  husband  Thomas  L.  Frazier  was  a  member  of  the 
Mormon  Battalion. 

New  General  Manager. — W.  H.  Bancroft,  who  came  to  Salt  Lake 
as  vice-prest.  and  general  manager  of  the  0.  S.  L.  Ry.,  in  1897,  was 
chosen  at  Omaha,  14th,  general  manager  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad, 
and  began  his  duties  on  the  15th.  He  was  born  at  Newberry,  Ohio,  in 
October,  1840;  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Michigan  Southern  as 
telegraph  operator;  the  Erie,  and  Kansas  Pacific  as  chief  clerk  and  dis- 
patcher; and  in  1872  went  to  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  as 
assistant  superintendent.  He  was  also  with  the  St.  Louis,  Lawrence  and 
Western  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas,  and  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  of 
which  he  was  appointed  receiver  and  general  superintendent  in  1886. 
His  success  has  been  phenomenal  as  a  railway  man,  and  his  faithfulness 
and  ability  have  brought  him  to  one  of  the  highest  positions  in  railway 
circles. 

Richfield  Divided. — On  Sunday,  the  17th,  Elders  George  Teasdale 
and  Hyrum  M.  Smith  attended  conference  in  Richfield,  and  under  instruc- 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH.  395 

tions  divided  the  ward  into  three  wards,  ordaining  bishops  as  follows: 
1st  ward,  Heber  Christensen;  2nd  ward,  Virginius  Bean;  3rd  ward, 
George  William  Coons. 

End  of  the  Strike. — On  the  24th,  just  two  months  from  the  time  of 
call  to  service,  the  last  of  the  N.  G.  U.  troops  were  discharged,  and  re- 
turned home  from  the  coal  strike  region,  where  peace  now  reigns.  In 
the  order  of  dismissal,  Gen.  John  Q.  Cannon  complimented  the  men  for 
having  done  their  duty  so  well  to  the  state,  in  the  face  of  such  trying 
circumstances,  and  for  the  sacrifices  they  made  in  performing  their 
service  to  the  state. 

New  Stake  Organized. — The  52d  stake  of  Zion  was  organized  at 
Idaho,  at  a  quarterly  conference  of  the  Bingham  Stake,  held  in  Iona, 
January  30  and  31.  It  was  named  Blackfoot,  and  was  taken  from  Bing- 
ham, the  dividing  line  being  just  north  of  Shelley,  five  miles  north  of  the 
base  line.  Elder  Elias  S.  Kimball  was  chosen  president  of  the  Blackfoot 
stake,  with  Lorenzo  R.  Thomas,  first,  and  Don  C.  Walker,  second,  coun- 
selors. Elder  Kimball  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  May  3,  1857,  and  is 
the  son  of  Heber  C.  and  Christeen  Golden,  Kimball.  He  became  a  pioneer 
of  Bear  Lake  in  1876,  and  in  1884  filled  a  mission  under  John  Morgan,  in 
the  Southern  States,  over  which  mission  he  succeeded  his  brother  J.  Golden, 
as  president  in  1894,  presiding  for  four  years.  He  was  later  appointed 
chaplain  by  Pres.  Wm.  McKinley,  of  the  engineer  corps  under  Capt.  Wil- 
lard  Young,  serving  ten  months,  mostly  in  Havana,  Cuba.  He  is  well  pre- 
pared, morally,  spiritually,  and  educationally  to  well  fulfill  the  duties  of 
his  new  calling. 

February,    1904. 

Return  of  President  Francis  M.  Lyman.— President  Francis  M. 
Lyman  returned  on  the  1st  from  a  two  and  a  half  years  mission  to  Eng- 
land as  president  of  the  European  mission.  He  reports  that  at  the  pres- 
ent time  there  are  five  hundred  and  ninety-seven  missionaries  from  Zion, 
five  of  whom  are  women.  These  labor  mainly  in  Britain,  Scandinavia, 
Germany,  Switzerland  and  the  Netherlands,  but  are  found  also  in  Ice- 
land, Austria  and  Hungary,  Palestine  and  South  Africa.  Since  his  ar- 
rival, May  17,  1901,  seven  hundred  and  forty  missionaries  have  regis- 
tered in  Liverpool,  and  six  hundred  and  eight  have  departed  for  home. 
Three  missionaries  died:  Christian  W.  Christofferson,  Richmond,  Utah, 
died  August  23,  1901,  at  Silkeborg,  Denmark;  Henry  Robert  James, 
Logan,  Utah,  died  at  Liege,  Belgium,  October  10, 1901;  Gottfried  Knutti, 
Montpelier,  Idaho,  died  at  Zurich,  Switzerland,  August  19,  1903.  Seven 
missionaries  fell  from  honor  and  virtue,  and  these  were  stripped  of  every 


396  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

vestige  of  authority  and  excommunicated  from  the  Church.  During  his 
presidency,  5,193,824  tracts,  and  184,085  books  were  distributed,  and 
there  were  4,018  baptisms  in  the  European  mission.  He  estimates  that 
the  cost  of  the  mission — counting  a  monthly  expense  of  $17.00 /or  each 
missionary,  and  his  production  at  home  at  $300  per  annum — is  annually 
$350,000;  and  as  that  mission  represents  only  a  little  over  one-third  of 
what  is  being  done  in  the  world,  the  total  drain  for  missionary  work  on 
the  Latter-day  Saints  is  probably  one  million  dollars  per  annum.  He  per- 
sonally visited  Africa,  Palestine,  Greece,  Italy,  France,  Finland,  Russia 
and  Poland,  and  dedicated  these  lands  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel; 
and  since  then,  a  mission  is  established  in  Africa,  and  Elder  Mischa  Mar- 
kow  has  gone  into  Russia  to  declare  the  message.  President  Lyman  is 
looking  and  feeling  well,  and  is  already  in  the  harness  doing  work  for 
the  Church  and  Mutual  Improvement  Associations  at  home.  Every  reader 
of  the  Era  will  join  us  in  extending  a  hearty  welcome  to  the  active  and 
energetic  president  of  the  Twelve. 

Smith  Family  Reunion. — On  the  9th  a  reunion  of  the  Smith  Fam- 
ily Association  was  held  at  the  Bee  Hive  house,  in  honor  of  Patriarch 
Hyrum  Smith,  the  day  being  the  104th  anniversary  of  his  birth.  Be- 
tween two  and  three  hundred  members  of  the  family  assembled  on  the 
occasion,  spending  a  very  enjoyable  afternoon  and  evening.  A  splended 
program  was  rendered,  including  remarks  by  President  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
Elder  John  Henry  Smith,  and  Frederick  M.  Smith  who  is  a  grandson  of 
the  Prophet  Joseph,  and  who  represented  the  Iowa  branch  of  the  family. 
Sentiments  in  relation  to  the  Patriarch  Hyrum  Smith  and  his  wives,  Jer- 
usha  Barden  and  Mary  Fielding  Smith, were  also  given  by  Hyrum  M.  Smith, 
George  A.  Smith — in  behalf  of  Patriarch  John  Smith — and  by  Miss  Sarah 
Harris. 

The  family  is  descended  from  Robert  Smith,  who  emigrated  to 
America  from  England,  in  1638,  and  shortly  afterwards  bought  a  large 
tract  of  farming  land  in  Ipswich,  now  Boxford  township,  Essex  county, 
Massachusetts.  He  was  the  father  of  ten  children,  whose  descendants 
are  now  scattered  over  the  United  States,  many  of  them  holding  prom- 
inent positions  of  various  kinds  throughout  the  nation.  The  Prophet 
Joseph  and  Patriarch  Hyrum  are  of  the  sixth  generation,  their  fathers 
being  Joseph,  Asael,  Samuel,  Samuel  and  Robert. 

In  Utah  there  are  four  numerous  branches  of  the  family,  descend- 
ants of  four  of  the  sons  of  A?ael  —Joseph,  Asael,  Silas  and  John  being 
their  names,  the  first  and  oldest  branch  of  the  family  in  Utah  being  rep- 
resented by  President  Joseph  F.  Smith,  Patriarch  John  Smith  and  Samuel 
H.  B.  Smith.     The  second  branch   is   represented  by  Elias  A.,  and  Jesse 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH.  397 

M.  Smith;  the  third  by  Silas  S.,  and  Jesse  N.  Smith,  and  the  fourth  by 
John  Henry  and  his  son  George  A.  Smith. 

These  four  branches,  which  are  now  scattered  over  the  states  of 
Utah,  Idaho,  Colorado  and  the  territory  of  Arizona,  number  many  hun- 
dreds, and  are  very  closely  bound  together  in  their  feelings  and  sympa- 
thies. A  few  years  ago  a  family  organization  was  effected,  with  Presi- 
dent Joseph  F.  Smith,  president,  and  Patriarch  John  Smith,  Elders  John 
Henry,  Silas  S.,  and  Elias  A.  Smith,  a  board  of  directors,  and  Edith 
A.  Smith,  secretary.  Since  that  time  several  family  gatherings  and 
"Temple  days"  have  been  held.  The  great  desire  of  the  family  is  to 
gather  as  many  of  the  names  of  their  dead  as  possible,  and  to  do  the 
work  for  them  in  the  Temple.  On  the  10th,  the  day  following  the  re- 
union, members  of  the  family  assembled  at  the  Salt  Lake  Temple  and 
performed  the  necessary  ordinances  for  a  large  number  of  their  dead. 

Grand  Irrigation  Scheme.— A.  F.  Doremus,  state  engineer  of  Utah, 
has  prepared  a  plan  showing  the  proposed  enlargement  and  utilization  of 
the  water  supply  for  Cache,  Utah,  and  Salt  Lake  valleys.  The  plan 
is  prepared  under  direction  and  authority  of  the  Arid  Land  Reclamation 
Fund  Commission  of  which  Engineer  Doremus  is  chairman.  It  contem- 
plates an  interception  channel  across  the  headwaters  of  Strawberry,  Cur- 
rant and  other  smaller  creeks  in  the  Uintah  Reservation,  to  divert  them  into 
a  reservoir  in  Strawberry  Valley,  thence  by  a  three  mile  tunnel  through 
tbe  mountains  west  into  a  branch  of  Diamond  Creek,  which  empties  into 
the  Spanish  Fork  river,  from  whence  it  is  taken  by  canal  from  near  Cas- 
tilla:  first  by  a  branch  to  a  district  overlooking  the  southern  end  of 
Utah  county;  second,  the  main  distributing  channel,  along  the  base  of  the 
Wasatch  mountains,  on  an  average  of  about  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
settlements  on  the  east  side  of  Utah  county,  to  the  Jordan  Narrows.  At 
the  latter  place  the  main  channel  continues  along  the  base  of  the  Wa- 
satch mountains,  about  three  hundred  feet  above  the  valley,  past  Salt 
Lake  City  to  Ogden  and  Brigham,  and  thence  to  where  it  empties  into  the 
Bear  river,  above  Collinston:  a  branch  extends  across  the  Narrows, 
along  the  east  side  of  the  Oquirrh  range,  past  Garfield  beach,  into 
Tooele  county. 

The  scheme  also  contemplates  a  thirty  mile  High  Line  canal  from 
near  Gentile  Valley,  taking  waters  of  the  Bear  on  the  west  side  of  Cache 
over  the  country  to  cover  the  lower  part  of  Malad  Valley,  as  well  as  the 
western  portion  of  Cache,  as  far  south  as  the  river.  This  includes 
the  tapping  of  the  head  waters  of  the  Blackfoot,  with  a  reservoir  in  the 
Blackfoot  Basin,  to  empty  by  short  canal  and  natural  branch  into  the 
Bear  where  it  curves  south  on  its  way  to  the  Lake.    The  map  shows  also 


398  IMPRO  VEMEN T  ERA. 

intercepting  canals  for  the  making  of  a  reservoir  of  Bear  Lake.  In  addi- 
tion, the  scheme  is  to  restrict  the  Salt  Lake  to  a  district  south  of  the 
Lucin  Cut-off  to  avoid  the  great  evaporation  going  on  in  the  northern 
arm  of  the  Lake;  also  to  confine  the  Utah  Lake  to  a  smaller  area  to 
avoid  waste  by  evaporation.  Hon.  F.  S.  Richards  and  Engineer  Doremus 
visited  Washington,  returning  in  the  middle  part  of  February,  to  present 
the  subject  before  the  Government  Engineers  who,  it  is  stated,  approve 
the  scheme  which  will  cost  many  millions  and  open  to  cultivation  vast 
areas  of  arid  land. 

Domestic— -January,  1904. 

Emigrants  to  America. — During  the  year  1903,  there  were  619,980 
immigrants,  steerage  passengers,  arrived  in  New  York,  as  against  547,- 
197  in  1902.  The  year  of  1902  was  a  record-breaking  year,  the  increase 
over  1901  having  been  about  139,000.  As  was  the  case  last  year,  the 
heaviest  immigration  was  during  May,  92,861  steerage  passengers  being 
admitted  at  New  York.     Almost  as  many  came  in  April. 

George  Francis  Train  Dead.— This  noted  character  died  in  New 
York  on  January  18th.  He  was  buried  in  Greenwood  cemetery  on  the 
21st;  he  was  about  75  years  old. 

Navy  Appropriations. — The  House  Bill,  January  29,  for  the  Navy 
will  carry  a  large  appropriation.  Secretary  Moody  suggests  the  con- 
struction of  one  battle  ship,  one  armored  cruiser,  three  protected  cruis- 
ers and  four  fast  scout  cruisers.  The  Department  plans  to  spend  ulti- 
mately $12,000,000  upon  the  naval  station  at  Guantanamo  Bay,  and 
$9,000,000  for  a  similar  station  at  Subig  Bay,  near  Manila.  It  is  also  pro- 
posed that  $1,500,000  be  spent  for  a  fortitied  coaling  station  on  Kiska, 
one  of  the  Aleutian  islands.  Utah  people  should  remember  the  promise 
of  Secretary  Moody  that  on  certain  conditions,  he  would  name  one  of  the 
navy  ships  Utah.     He  appears  in  a  good  way  to  get  his  money. 

February,    1904. 

New  Secretary  of  War. — On  the  1st  Elihu  Root  retired  from  the 
Cabinet,  and  W.  H.  Taf t,  succeeded  him  as  Secretary  of  War.  On  the  3d, 
Mr.  Root  was  present  as  a  guest  of  honor  at  a  dinner  given  in  New  York 
by  250  of  his  fellow  members  of  the  Union  League  Club.  In  the 
course  of  an  eloquent  speech,  he  defended  Prest.  Roosevelt  against  the 
criticisms  of  persons  who  said  he  was  not  "safe,"  commending  him  as 
"the  greatest  conservative  force  in  Washington  for  the  protection  of 
property  and  our  institutions."    He  said  further: 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH.  399 

Men  say  he  is  not  safe!  He  is  not  safe  for  the  men  who  wish  to  pros- 
ecute selfish  schemes  for  the  public's  detriment.  He  is  not  safe  for  the 
men  who  wish  the  Government  conducted  with  greater  reference  to  cam- 
paign contributions  than  to  the  public  good.  He  is  not  safe  for  the  men 
who  wish  to  drag  the  President  of  the  United  States  into  a  corner  and 
make  whispered  arrangements  which  they  dare  not  have  known  by  their 
constituents.  He  is  great  because  he  is  so  just  and  fair.  I  would  rather 
have  my  boys  taught  to  admire  as  the  finest  thing  in  our  life  the  honesty 
and  frankness,  the  truth  and  loyalty,  the  honor  and  devotion  of  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  than  to  have  them  have  all  the  wealth  of  this  great  metro- 
polis. 

In  the  Philippines. — On  the  1st,  Governor  Wright  was  inaugurated 
as  governor  of  Manila,  and  announced  that  he  would  follow  the  princi- 
ples of  Governor  Taft,  his  predecessor.  The  latter,  in  his  report  to  the 
commission  says  the  number  of  friars  in  the  island  on  Dec.  1,  was  two 
hundred  and  forty  six  as  against  1,013  in  1898.  He  says  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church: 

Whatever  may  happen  during  the  first  few  months  of  the  coming  of 
the  American  Bishops,  it  is  certain  that  the  spirit  of  the  American  Catho- 
lic church  is  so  different  from  that  of  the  Spanish  church  from  a  politi- 
cal standpoint  that  the  influence  of  the  Spanish  friars  will  gradually 
wane,  and  that  of  the  American  Bishops  become  controlling,  bringing 
about  that  which  we  so  much  desire,  the  Americanizing  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  in  the  Philippines. 

W.  C.  Whitney  Dead. — On  the  2nd  William  Collins  Whitney,  sec- 
retary of  the  Navy  1885-9  died,  aged  62  years. 

The  Baltimore  Fire.— On  the  7th  and  8th  one  of  the  most  de- 
structive fires  in  the  history  of  our  country  raged  in  Baltimore.  The  fire 
destroyed  a  district  three  quarters  of  a  mile  long  and  four  blocks  wide, 
containing  some  of  the  finest  structures  in  the  city.  Help  was  called 
from  surrounding  cities,  and  at  one  time  four  hundred  streams  were 
pouring  upon  the  fire,  but  with  little  effect.  The  lo^s  is  conservatively 
estimated  at  from  $75,000,000  to  $125,000,000.  Remarkable  to  say, 
there  was  no  loss  of  life. 

Marcus  Alonzo  Hanna. — The  Republican  leader,  political  organ- 
izer, statesman,  and  United  States  Senator,  died  in  Washington  at  6:40 
p.  m.  on  the  15th.  He  was  born  Sept.  24,  1837,  in  New  Lisbon,  Ohio; 
educated  at  Western  Reserve  College;  became  clerk  in  his  father's  gro- 
cery in  1861,  and  later  its  manager,  upon  the  death  of  his  father.  In 
1864,  he  married  the  daughter  of  his  partner,  D.  P.  Rhodes,  and  later 
organized  the  law  firm  of  M.  A.  Hanna  &  Co.  He  became  interested  in 
the  iron  trade,  and  soon  became  the  head  of  the  Globe  Iron  Works  Co., 


400  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

and  a  large  ship  owner  on  the  lakes.  In  1896,  having  become  active  in 
politics,  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  Republican  Nat.  Com.,  and  was  in 
March  that  year  appointed  to  the  U.  S.  Senate  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  resignation  of  Hon.  John  Sherman.  He  was  elected  in  1899  to 
the  succeeding  long  and  short  terms,  expiring  in  1905,  and  was  re-ap- 
pointed chairman  of  the  Republican  National  Committee,  at  the  conven- 
tion of  1900. 

Foreign. — January,  1904. 

New  Concessions  for  Iceland. — About  the  middle  of  January,  Den- 
mark made  concessions  to  Iceland  which  grants  privileges  that  have  been 
in  controversy  been  that  country  and  the  mother  country  for  nearly 
thirty  years,  beginning  in  1874  when  the  King  of  Denmark  granted  Ice- 
land its  present  constitution.  The  Icelanders  have  gained  all  their 
points,  and  may  be  said  to  have  won  a  brilliant  victory.  They  will  now 
have  their  own  ministry,  an  increase  in  the  representatives  elected  by 
the  people,  and  an  extension  in  the  elective  franchise,  as  well  as  the 
"greatest  degree  of  self-government  consistent  with  a  recognition  of  the 
rights  of  the  mother  country."  An  official  state  coat-of-arms  will  be  al- 
lowed, something  desired  by  Iceland's  80,000  population  for  many  years. 

Aalesund  Destroyed. — In  two  hours  the  town  of  Aalesund,  Norway, 
was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  24th,  and  eleven  thousand  people  were 
made  homeless.  Twenty  fishing  smacks  and  three  steamers  were  sunk  in 
the  harbor,  and  other  property  to  the  amount  of  over  $4,000,000  was 
destroyed. 

Lord  Curzon  in  Persia. — With  pomp  befitting  his  station,  Lord 
Curzon  has  lately  visited  for  three  weeks  along  the  Persian  Gulf  im- 
pressing upon  the  local  British  chiefs  the  importance  of  British  favor  and 
friendship,  lost  to  some  extent  by  the  failure  of  the  English  railway  from 
Teheran  to  the  Karun,  and  through  the  invasion  of  northern  Persia  by 
the  Russians.  No  Viceroy  of  India  has  ever  before  paid  an  official  visit 
to  the  towns  on  the  Persian  Gulf. 

Religion  in  Panama. — After  a  heated  discussion,  the  Panama  Con- 
stitutional Convention,  now  in  session,  on  January  26,  approved  the  fol- 
owing  clause  relating  to  religion  in  the  new  republic: 

The  professions  of  all  religions,  as  also  the  exercise  of  all  forms  of 
worship  shall  be  free,  without  other  limitations  than  respect  for  Chris- 
tian morality  and  public  order.  Nevertheless  it  is  recognized  that  the 
Catholic  religion  is  that  of  a  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Republic 
and  the  law  will  provide  assistance  toward  the  founding  of  a  seminary 
in  the  capital,  and  missions  for  savage  tribes. 


ANYTHING  YOU  WANT 
IN  THE  MUSIC  LINE,  j* 
WRITE  US  FOR  CATA- 
LOGUES. PRICES  THE 
LOWEST.   Jt    J>    J-    *    J> 

carstensen! 

&  ANSON  CO.! 

TEMPLE  OF  MUSIC  f 

I  74  Main  Street 

?  SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 


f  Formerly  Daynes   Music  Co 

•H 


4» 


»^»»T«»%«T«»T»»f«»%i 


PIANOS!  |The<ci900,,WflSHER;l 


Saves  Women's  Lives. 


The  Only  :: 

perfect   :: 


60)  IN  USE 
IN  UTAH 


Washes  Lace  Curtains  without 
breaking  a  thread  and  Carpets 
with  perfect  ease. 

Price  $12. OO 

Money  refunded  in  30  days  if  not 
satisfactory. 

Jos.  F.  Hanson  Furniture  Co  ,  Gen.  Agents, 
Brlgham  City,  Utah. 

Barnes-Hardy  Co  ,Local  Agts, Salt  Lake  City 

Write  for  Particulars  &  Testimonials 


•M-K 


THE  FIRST  VOLUME  OF 

B.  H.  ROBERTS' GREAT  WORK 

"JlEtf  WITNESS  FOR  GOD" 

Is  the  property  of  the  GENERAL  BOARD 
OF  Y.   M.  M    I.  A. 
Every    student  of   the    Senior  Manual    for    1903-4 
should  read  it.  The  subject  treated  is: 

JOSEPH  S|WITH  AS  fl  WITNESS  FOR  GOD 

While  the  Associations  are  now   studying  the  subject: 

THE  BOOK  OF  fflOfifflON  AS  ft  OUTNESS  FOR  GOO- 

Every  member  should   read  both   volumes.     Send 
for  the  first  volume  for  yourselves  and  your  libraries. 

Price  $1  50  Postpaid. 

Order  from      Y.    M.    M.    I.   A. 

214  TEMPLETON  BUILDING,    -    -    SALT  LAKE  CITY. 


(When  writing  to  Advertisers,  please  mention  the  Era.) 


THE  RIO  GRANDE  WESTERN 

.   .    .   AND    .   .   . 

THE  DENVER  AflD  RIO  GRANDE 

Best  Local  Train  Sepviee  in  Utah. 

From  ten  to  forty  minutes  the  fastest  line 
between  Ogden,  Salt  Lake  City,  Lehi,  Ameri- 
can Fork,  Provo,  Mammoth,  Eureka  and  all 
points  in  Sanpete,  Sevier  and  south. 

3  FAST  TRAINS  DAILY 

to  all  Eastern  points,  with  through  sleeping 
and  dining  cars  to  Denver,  Omaha, 
Kansas  City,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago. 
MAGNIFICENT  SCENERY  EN  ROUTE.  J*  J*  J* 

For  Rates,   etc.,  enquire  of    Local  Agent  or 
write  ^^^^ 

I.  A  BENTON, 

General  Agent,  Salt  Lake  CitY. 


Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad 

Operating  1262  Miles  or  Railroad  tbrougb 
the  Thriving  states  of 

UTAH,  IDAHO,  WYOMING,  OREGON  and  MONTANA. 


THE  ONLY  ROAD 


To  BUTTE,  HELENA,  PORTLAND,  and  the  NORTH  PACIFIC  COAST. 


FIVE  DAILY  TRAINS  BETWEEN  SALT  LAKE   CITY  AND  OGDEN. 


The  Fastest  Service  to  All  Points  East. 


BUY  YOUR  TICKETS  VIA  THE  "SHORT  LINE,"  UTAH'S 
FAVORITE  RAILROAD. 

City   Ticket  Office.  No.  201  Main  Street,  Sa/t  Lake  City 

F,  U.  SCHUMACHER.  Genera/  Tragic  Manager.  0.  E.  BURLEt,  Gen.  Pass,  and  Ticket  Mgi 

W.  H.  BAM  CROFT.  Vice-Prest  and  General  Manager. 

(When  writing  to  Advertisers,  please  m  ention  the  Bra.) 


Telephone  351. 

Jos.Wm.Taylor, 

UTAH'S  LEADING  UNDERTAKER 
AND  LICENSED  EMBALMER. 

Fine  Funeral  Chapel,  Private  Par- 
lor, Show  Rooms  and  Morgue. 

OFFICE  OPEN  DAY  AND  NIGHT. 

21,23, 25  South  West  Temple  St. 

SALT  LAKE  CITT,  UTAH. 


ORLAN  CLYDE  CULLEN, 

COUNSELOR-AT-LAW. 

U.  8.  Supreme  Court,  Registered  Attor- 
ney U.  S.  Patent  Office,  United  States  and 
Foreign  Patents,  Caveats,  Trade  Marks  and 
Copyrights. 

No.  700  7th  Street,  N.  W. 

Opp.  U.  S.  Patent  Office.      WA8HINQT0N.D.C. 


YOU  ARE  DELUDING  YOURSELF 
WHEN  YOU  SAY, 

"A  Telephone 
would  be  of 
no  use  to  me 
at  the  house.9 

TRY  IT  AND  SEE. 

Ask  any  of  your  many 
friends  who  have  it. 

ONE  DOLLAR  PER  MONTH  IS 
TOO  CHEAP  TO  REQUIRE  ARGU- 
MENT. 


'THAT 
GOOD 
COAIi." 

A.  Comfort  Insurance 
Poliey. 


BRMBESGEH, 
161  JVteighn  St. 


Successor  to 
PLEASANT  VALLEY 
COAL  CO. 


Sporting 
Goods. 


Best 

Quality 

at 

Low 
Prices. 


YOU  CAN  BUY  OF  OS 

and  save  express  from  New 
York  <*r  Chicago — not  only 
expressage,  but  from  15  per 
cent  to  20  per  cent  additional 
in  first  cost  to  you.  It  is  our 
business  to  save  you  money, 
and  our  beautiful  illustrated, 
free  catalogue  tells  how. 

Write  Today. 


Bf*OWl*iriG    BHOS.     CO., 

OQDBf*.     UTAH* 


(When  writing  to  advertitew  pleaee  mention  this  paper.) 


A  Good  Store 

Always  handles  reliable  goods  of  every   description. 
There  is  nothing  better  on  the  market  than 

Mountaineer  Overalls 

XXX  and  Striped  Overalls  and  Jumpers,  and 
Z.  C.  M.  I.  Boots  and  Shoes.  For  every  cent  spent 
on  these  goods  you  get  value  received  and  you 
should  insist  on  receiving  them.  There  are  none 
others  "just  as  good,"  and  the  guaramee  of  the 
largest  factory  in  the  West  backs  them. 


Z.  C.  M.  L     Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


****************************************************** 
't 


U-UHOPSDHY  GOODS  GO. 


* 


SPRING  TRADE. 

Just  received  Ladies'  Suits,  Dress  Skirts,  Walking 
Skirts,  Shirt  Waists,  Silk  Waists  in  a  splendid  variety 
at  popular  prices. 


To  close  out  Furs,  Ladies'  Coats,  Cioth  and  Plush 
Capes,  Children's  Coats,  Flannel  Waists,  all  50  per 
cent  off. 

CONFERENCE  VISITORS  SHOULD  CflLli  Ofl  OS  FOR  BARGAINS.         |